Baseball Notches Double Header Split with Southern Vermont College

HOLYOKE, Mass. – The Elms College baseball team posted a double header split with Southern Vermont College on Tuesday evening in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) action at MacKenzie Stadium in Holyoke, Mass. The Blazers won the first game, 7-6 in 10 innings before the Mountaineers posted an 8-3 victory in the second game to preserve the split.

With the split Elms moves to 11-18 overall, 7-10 in NECC play, while Southern Vermont moves to 15-18 on the season, 8-9 in league action. The Blazers and Mountaineers will complete the season series on a day and time that is yet to be determined.

Game One: Elms 7, Southern Vermont 6 (10 innings)

In the top of the first, Southern Vermont plated two runs when Chris Nicastro Jr. (Kenilworth, N.J.) singled up the middle, and RJ Pingitore (Amsterdam, N.Y.) reached on an error before a groundout by Cody LaBadia (Howes Cave, N.Y.) moved the runners into scoring position on a groundout. Nicastro then scored on a wild pitch before a Roland Hernandez (Pico Rivera, Calif.) base hit through the left side gave the Mountaineers a 2-0 lead. Elms' sophomore starter Tom Weldon (Springfield, Mass.) forced an inning-ending groundout to end the frame.

The Blazers answered in the home half of the first when sophomore shortstop Nolan Medeiros (Taunton, Mass.) delivered a one-out single, followed by a walk to senior catcher Zach Dreher (Naugatuck, Conn.) and a base knock to left by senior designated hitter Sam Farnsworth (Westfield, Mass.) to load the bases. Junior third baseman Geoff Frost (Ludlow, Mass.) then reached on a miscue by the Southern Vermont defense allowing the Blazers to score twice and even the game at 2-2. Mountaineers' starter Dylan Angelo (Ft. Johnson, N.Y.) induced an inning-ending double play to get out of the jam.

In the bottom of the second, senior right fielder Alex King (Lebanon, Conn.) drew a leadoff free pass, moved to second on a single through the right side by sophomore second baseman Aedin Wadja (Lebanon, Conn.) and both runners moved up on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore left fielder R.J. Lyrenmann (Glendale, Ariz.). Junior center fielder Brady Forrest (Hampden, Mass.) reached on a miscue by Southern Vermont to load the bags before Medeiros was hit by a pitch to plate a run. A pair of fly outs ended the inning with Elms ahead, 3-2.

The Mountaineers rallied to tie the game at 3-3 in the top of the third when LaBadia drove in Sal Sciara (Massapequa, N.Y.) who reached on an infield hit to start the stanza.

In the bottom of the third, Elms jammed the bases on a pair of errors and a hit by freshman first baseman Jordan Zima (Berlin, Conn.), but Angelo used a one-out double play to get out of the inning unscathed.

In the top of the fifth, Southern Vermont scored three times on the strength of an RBI single by LaBadia and a sacrifice fly by Hernandez in addition to a run scored on a Blazers' miscue to give the Mountaineers a 6-3 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, Dreher reached on a miscue and Farnsworth singled into left field to give Elms two on with no outs chasing Angelo from the hill. Erik Johansen (Rosendale N.Y.) entered in relief and allowed a single to Frost to load the bases. An RBI walk to Zima pulled Elms to within two at 6-4. A base hit to right field by Wadja drove in two runs tying the game at 6-6. An intentional walk to Forrest loaded the bases before pinch runner Joe Tonon (Bristol, Conn.) was caught stealing at home to keep the game knotted at 6-6.

In the top of the eighth, Hernandez and Quinten Scot (Ashaway, R.I.) connected for hits and the Mountaineers had a pair of runners in scoring position but Weldon tossed a strikeout to end the frame and preserve the 6-6 tie.

In the bottom of the ninth, walks to freshman Stephen Harrison (Southbury, Conn.) and Wadja gave the Blazers two on and a passed ball moved the runners into scoring position, but Johansen forced a groundout to end the frame.

In the bottom of the 10^th frame, Forrest drew a leadoff walk, Medeiros bunted him over with a sacrifice before Dreher singled up the middle to give Elms runners on the corners with one out. Farnsworth then lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to give the Blazers a 7-6 walk-off victory.

Elms' sophomore reliever Kyle Bartlett (Huntington, Mass.) pitched two scoreless innings of relief and earned the win while striking out two batters. Weldon pitched eight frames in the no-decision and fanned seven batters.

Johansen (0-3) suffered the loss and struck out three batters in 3.2 frames of relief. Angelo pitched six innings.

Game Two: Southern Vermont 8, Elms 3

In the top of the first, Southern Vermont took advantage of a pair of Elms errors, two walks, and three hit batters to go along with RBI doubles from Scot and Richard Rios (Pico Rivera, Calif.) to help the Mountaineers stake a 6-0 lead. Elms' sophomore reliever Brian Langdon (Beacons Falls, Conn.) entered with two outs in the frame and forced a fielder's choice out to third base to end the inning.

In the bottom of the second, Elms scored three runs. King and Wadja drew back-to-back walks, advanced into scoring position on a single up the middle by Lyrenmann that loaded the bases. King then scored on a single through the left side by Forrest and Wadja came home on a base hit up the middle by Medeiros to set the score at 6-2. A sacrifice fly by Dreher cut the Blazers' deficit in half at 6-3 before a fly out got Southern Vermont starter Kurt Kowalczyk (Amsterdam, N.Y.) out of trouble in the frame. 

The Mountaineers got a run back in the top of the third Pingitore delivered a run-scoring single up the middle plating Rios who doubled to center field to leadoff the frame.

Southern Vermont added to its lead in the top of the fifth stanza when Nicastro Jr. doubled in Sciara to lift the advantage to 8-3.

Junior reliever Brendan Begley (Springfield, Mass.) pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh inning for the Blazers.

Elms' senior starter Curtis LeBeau (Auburn, Mass.) suffered the loss, while Kowalczyk pitched a complete game to earn the win for the Mountaineers.

Scot was 4 for 4 to lead Southern Vermont's offense in game two, while Sciara and Rios had two hits each.

Forrest led Elms with two hits including a double and an RBI.