HOLYOKE, Mass. – Despite out-hitting Lesley University by a 17-9 margin, the Southern Vermont College Mountaineers fell 10-8 in New England Collegiate Conference baseball action Tuesday night at MacKenzie Field, the home diamond for Elms College.
The Lynx utilized a six-run bottom of the sixth to move to 4-6 in NECC play and 10-11 overall on the season. The Mountaineers fall to 5-4 in the conference, 11-13 overall, with their first NECC series loss; the teams split a Sunday doubleheader with Tuesday's game being moved from Saturday.
Both teams came out scoring, tacking up three runs apiece in the opening inning. SVC put a couple of runners on with a pair of singles for sophomore right fielder Roland Hernandez (Pico Rivera, Calif.) to take advantage of. He pulled one down the left field line for his league-leading 13th double of the season and a 2-0 advantage for the Mountaineers. He wouldn't stay on the pond for long as an ensuing double by sophomore center fielder Sal Sciara (Massapequa, N.Y.) brought in the third Southern Vermont run and a solid starting cushion for SVC junior left-hander Kurt Kowalczyk (Amsterdam, N.Y.).
Lesley came right back to respond with a mirroring three-run first with help by a double to left center off the bat of junior shortstop Aqib Shah (Watertown, Mass.) to plate two Lynx and tie the game. Junior right fielder Tyler Plourd (Canton, Conn.) hit a single to left to drive in LU's first run of the inning.
Kowalczyk would settle in, retiring 12 of the next 14 Lesley hitters going through the fifth, including putting down the side in order in both the second and third. He would strike out three batters during that stretch, allowing runners on only a walk and hit by pitch.
The Mountaineer southpaw received a little extra run support, first in the top of the third when Hernandez scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman third baseman Quinten Scott (Ashaway, R.I.) and then again with a two-run fourth; sophomore left fielder Jarod Hayen (Esperence, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, then took two of his night's four stolen bases to get into scoring position. A grounder by sophomore first baseman Cody LaBadia (Howes Caves, N.Y.) to the right side saw the Lynx take the out and allow Hayen to score and sophomore second baseman Chris Nicastro (Cranford, N.J.) to move up to second. SVC stayed aggressive on the base paths as Nicastro swiped third and promptly scored on a single to center by senior first baseman Corey Armstrong (Bennington, Vt.).
SVC added a bit more insurance in the sixth when Sciara came to the plate with two outs and runners on first and second. He hit a single to right that scored LaBadia and saw Armstong, off on the contact, trying to score from first. The relay would eventually tag Sciara out, but not before Amstrong scored to make it an 8-3 game.
That lead was short-lived, however, as the Lynx went ahead after batting around the order to throw up a six spot in the bottom of the inning. Kowalczyk exited the game when he gave up a bases-loaded single by sophomore third baseman John Gosnell (Toronto, Ontario) for the first Lynx run of the inning. A following double to left by sophomore catcher David Hersey (Wolfeboro, N.H.) off Mountaineer reliever Dave Northup (Richmond, R.I.) brought in two more, and sophomore center fielder Robert Parson (Commack, N.Y.) then singled to right, cutting the Mountaineer lead to 8-7 and chasing Northup from the outing. Hersey would score from third shortly after on a passed ball, and Ploured knocked in the go-ahead run with a sac fly to Hernandez in right; both runs were responsible to Northup.
Lesley relief from the pen helped prevent Southern Vermont from obtaining the tying run; Lynx freshman Forrest Steevens (Wilton, N.H.) was able to get Nicastro to fly out to left, stranding Hayen at third in the top of the seventh. LU would add an insurance run in the eighth with a Plourd single to left, scoring Parson from third to make it the eventual 10-8 final.
Steevens gets his first win of the season (1-0) with the two-inning appearance in which he allowed just two hits and no runs, striking out one. Junior right-handed closer Kevin Hopwood (Winter Haven, Fla.) picks up his third save after downing the Mountaineer side in order in the ninth. Northup suffers the loss (3-2) for SVC.
LaBadia and Sciara were each 3-5 on the night with LaBadia scoring two runs, knocking in one, and Sciara having the two RBIs. Hayen was 3-3 with the run scored and four stolen bases, and Hernandez finished 2-5 with two runs scored and another two knocked around.
Parson, Plourd and Shah accounted for six of the nine Lynx hits as they each went 2-4; Parson had two runs scored and an RBI, Plourd scored one and knocked in three, and Shah had two RBIs and another run scored.
Southern Vermont looks to bounce back Wednesday when Daniel Webster College visits for a mid-week NECC doubleheader starting at 1 p.m., and Lesley finishes its season series against Newbury College with a Thursday rubber match in Watertown, Mass. at 5:30 p.m.