BENNINGTON, Vt. – Strong pitching by Daniel Webster College led to a doubleheader sweep of Southern Vermont College Wednesday afternoon in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) baseball at Bill Epstein Field. The Eagles took Game 1 with a 4-3 margin, and then grabbed the second tilt of the day with an 11-0 score.
The Mountaineers fall to 11-15 on the season, 5-6 in NECC play, and Daniel Webster improves to 19-6 overall, 12-2 in the conference.
Daniel Webster 4, SVC 3
Game 1 featured a pitchers' duel with neither team having much success against the opposing arm. The first four innings went scoreless as each team only had one hit on the board through that stretch. Finally, Daniel Webster grabbed a run in the top of the fifth, only to be matched in the bottom half with a bases-loaded grounder to second as the Eagles opted to turn the double play and allow the tying run to come in for the Mountaineers.
DWC would go right back on top in the top of the sixth with help from a two-run double to right by senior catcher Tyler Bonin (Litchfield, N.H.) to make it 4-1. The Mountaineers closed the gap in the following box, but only managed to scratch out two runs for the eventual 4-3 margin.
Eagle junior starting right-hander Ariel Ramos (Lowell, Mass.) picks up the win on the mound (3-1) after going six strong innings, allowing the three runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Senior closer Rich Lizotte (West Warwick, R.I.) closed out the game, sitting down the three Mountaineer batters he faced in the bottom of the seventh for his fourth save of the season. Southern Vermont freshman righty Adam Michaud (East Hampton, Conn.) suffers the loss (1-3) with three runs allowed on four hits in five innings of work.
Mountaineer freshman second baseman RJ Pingitore (Amsterdam, N.Y.) went 2-3 with an RBI and run scored while sophomore center fielder Sal Sciara (Massapequa, N.Y.) also had a 2-3 performance at the plate.
Daniel Webster senior center fielder Joshua Chasse (Haverhill, Mass.) was 1-2 with a walk and two runs batted in, and junior right fielder Erick Bourdeau (Alton Bay, N.H.) also went 1-2 with a walk, crossing the plate twice for the Eagles.
Daniel Webster 11, SVC 0
Eagle senior right-hander Greg Dubela (Stratham, N.H.) controlled the day-cap, keeping Southern Vermont off the board while collecting the complete game shutout victory.
The Eagles got the only run they would need in the top of the second with a first-and-third grounder to second that brought in Lizotte for the 1-0 go-ahead. Daniel Webster would tack up insurance runs in each of the final four innings en route to the 11-0 victory. A four-run top of the fourth included back-to-back two-run hits by senior catcher Aaron Richards (West Warwick, R.I.) and Chasse.
Chasse would knock in two more in the following inning with a single to center, giving Dubela a comfortable lead heading into the final few innings of work. He was able to wrap up the game with help from his defense which didn't make a single error behind him.
Dubela remains perfect on the season with the win (5-0), allowing no runs on just four hits, striking out seven while walking none. Mountaineer senior Dave Northup (Richmond, R.I.) takes the loss (3-2) after giving up five runs, all earned, in the afternoon start.
Sophomore Cody LaBadia (Howes Caves, N.Y.) was 2-2 in the game while freshman Zach Milton (Ft. Myers, Fla.) saw his first collegiate hit come in a pinch-hit at bat in the bottom of the seventh.
Chasse went 3-5 for the Eagles with the four RBIs, and sophomore designated hitter Kyle Brigham (Hudson, N.H.) was 2-3 with a run scored. Richards finished 1-2 with two RBIs and a run scored, and Bourdeau went 2-4, scoring one run in the game.
The Mountaineers turn to a Thursday non-conference 4 p.m. game down at Williams College, and Daniel Webster looks to its Friday non-conference matchup at St. Joseph's College of Maine with a 4 p.m. first pitch.