BENNINGTON, Vt.- Senior pitcher Greg Gilmore earned his first collegiate victory Tuesday afternoon at Bill Epstein Field as the Southern Vermont College Mountaineers beat the Rivier Raiders 11-0. The Mountaineers earned the win in its home opener of the 2012 season in non-conference baseball action.
Gilmore and the Mountaineers pitching staff held Rivier to two hits in the contest. The senior chucked five innings and gave up two hits and two walks, while he struck out a career best six. Southern Vermont's Connor Murray came on in relief and pitched three scoreless innings. Murray struck out three Raiders and didn't allow a hit. In the ninth freshman, Dustyn Marfyak pitched a clean one, two, three inning and struck out two.
The Southern Vermont offense was in full force Tuesday as well. Captain Dillon Desiderato went 4-4 with two RBI's to lead the way. Cody LaBadia went 2-3 with his first collegiate home run, when the freshman blasted a two run home run over the right field fence in the second inning. Keith Diotte went 2-4 and Corey Briggs was 1-3 with a double and two hit by pitches. Senior captain Pat Warrington had three RBI's in the win.
After a scoreless first inning, SVC jumped on the board quickly with four runs in the first and another four in the second. To start the bottom of the first, Briggs was hit before Diotte and Warrington hit back to back doubles. Desiderato then singled down the left field line to plate Warrington for a 3-0 lead. Two batters later LaBadia grounded out to short stop to score Desiderato.
In the second Briggs and Diotte each reached base on an error and walk respectively. Then Pat Warrington hit a deep fly ball to score Briggs and to give SVC a 5-0 advantage. After another Desiderato single to score Diotte, LaBadia hit a towering blast over the right field fence to cap the score at 8-0.
SVC added another run in the fourth when Desiderato scored on a Max Ginter sacrifice fly and the Mountaineers would add two more in the fifth. Briggs doubled and Diotte drove him home with a single to start the frame. Then Desiderato singled for the fourth time in five innings and he came around to score the 11th run after a Rob Murawski walk.
The Mountaineers are now 3-11 headed into New England Collegiate Conference play this weekend, when they take on Daniel Webster in a three game set. Saturday the two sides will play a double header in Nashua, while they will return to Bennington for a Sunday matinee.