BENNINGTON, Vt. – A six-run top of the fifth paved the way for a Mitchell College doubleheader sweep at Southern Vermont College Saturday afternoon in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) baseball action. The Mariners took game one 11-2 before knocking off the Mountaineers 15-4 in game two at Bill Epstein Field on Southern Vermont's Senior Day.
Mitchell improves to 14-3 in league play with the wins (23-8 overall) while Southern Vermont falls to 5-12 in the NECC, 11-23 overall.
Mitchell 11, SVC 2
The Mountaineers came out to begin the front end of the twin-bill, playing with energy and staunch defense. Southern Vermont starting freshman left-hander Zach Milton (Ft. Myers, Fla.) was able to retire the Mitchell side in order in the opening two frames before his teammates provided a bit of run support.
In the bottom of the second, freshman third baseman Dan Bergami (Schenectady, N.Y.) tagged one deep to right center, allowing the speedy Sal Sciara (Massapequa, N.Y.) to cruise all the way from first to score the game's first run. After Bergami moved to third on an infield groundout, he was knocked in with a liner back to and just out of the reach of Mariner starting righty Al Jordan Johnson (Lancaster, Calif.), putting the hosts up 2-0.
The Mountaineer defense then helped keep Mitchell from gaining momentum in the top of the third, first with a diving catch by Sciara in left-center to rob freshman right fielder Neftali Arroyo (New Haven, Conn.) from potential extra bases. An ensuing chopper in front of the plate then saw Milton slide to field the ball and turn his body to make the play at first.
Mitchell refused to stay off the board after that, however, as the Mariners closed the gap in the top of the fourth with a two-out rally, seeing a single and following walk lead to an Arroyo rope down the left field line to bring in sophomore first baseman Evan Peck (Shelton, Conn.).
Walks and errors would prove costly in the top of the fifth for the Mountaineers when Mitchell put up a crooked six to take the lead, one which the Mariners would never relinquish. The first two batters were able to work the walk before sophomore third baseman Raphael Garcia (New Britain, Conn.) laid a bunt down the third base line. As the play would have been close had Bergami chosen to field it, he decided to let the ball roll with the hopes that it would trickle foul. Eventually, the ball would hit third to load the pond. The next batter hit one down to Bergami who came up throwing to home, getting help from senior catcher Corey D. Briggs (Wood River, R.I.) who made the scoop out of the dirt for the force-out. Mitchell would then take advantage of the bases-loaded situation with an SVC fielding error that saw the ball hop into the outfield and two Mariner runners cross the plate for the 3-2 lead. Mitchell would tack up four more before the inning was over including one on an RBI triple by Arroyo to the right-center gap. That would be all MC needed as Jordan Johnson was able to keep the Mountaineers off the board through the rest of the game.
Mitchell provided its starter with two insurance runs in each the sixth and seventh innings, first with a two-run double down the left field line by junior designated hitter Kenneth Olszewski (Canterbury, Conn.). In the seventh, freshman second baseman Eddie Lorah (East Lyme, Conn.) brought in junior pinch hitter Kyle Edgar (Basking Ridge, N.J.), who had doubled earlier, with a two-bagger of his own. A double by Garcia then plated Edgar for the eventual 11-2 final.
Jordon Johnson betters his season record on the hill to 5-3 with the complete-game win, allowing just the two runs on five hits and a walk. Milton suffers the loss (1-3) with the 4.2 innings of work in which he gave up seven runs (three earned) on seven hits and four walks.
Bergami finished 1-2 with the RBI and run scored while sophomore shortstop Chris Nicastro (Cranford, N.J.) was 2-3 in the opening game. Sophomore left fielder Jarod Hayen (Esperance, N.Y.) went 1-2 with the other RBI in the second.
Olszewski and Arroyo were both 2-4 with two RBIs and a run scored for Mitchell.
The Mountaineers' were eliminated from NECC postseason potential with the loss.
Mitchell 15, SVC 4
Mitchell, fighting for the NECC regular season championship with Daniel Webster College, came out in game two with the bats carrying the momentum as the Mariners would put up 17 hits in the day-cap.
Southern Vermont again grabbed the early lead as D. Briggs was brought in by a single from senior first baseman Corey Armstrong (Bennington, Vt.). Mitchell responded instantly with a five-run top of the second, again capitalizing on Mountaineer miscues. Infield hits and pokes to the outfield would be enough for the Mariner runners to keep advancing and cross the plate as they got the five runs on just four hits and help from two SVC errors.
Mitchell would put up two and three runs in the third and fourth, respectively, before throwing another five on the board in the top of the fifth, two coming on a double by junior shortstop Marc Dorsi (West Haven, Conn.), as the Mariners went ahead 15-1.
Southern Vermont was able to grab one in the fifth and two more in the sixth, but it would not be enough as Mitchell prevented the big inning to close out the 15-4 victory.
Mariner starting freshman starting right-hander Tyler Shamas (Westbrook, Conn.) earned the win to improve to 8-1 on the season, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks; he struck out five in the outing. Mountaineer freshman southpaw Erik Johansen (Rosendale, N.Y.) took the loss (2-4) with the seven runs given up (four earned) on seven hits and a walk.
D. Briggs went 2-3 with a walk and two runs scored for the Mountaineers while Armstrong was 2-4 with a run batted in. Senior second baseman Dan Vardaro (Colonie, N.Y.) was 1-2 with two walks and a run scored.
Mariner sophomore left fielder Drew Doyle (Mystic, Conn.) was 3-3 at the dish with one run batted in and three scored, and Dorsi finished the game 3-5 with three RBIs and a run scored. Arroyo was 2-4 with two scored and three knocked in while freshman second baseman Jon Padilla (New Haven, Conn.) was also 2-4, recording two RBIs and two runs scored for Mitchell.
The Mountaineers and Mariners will meet again Sunday to conclude the season series and SVC's regular season play with a 12 p.m. first pitch at Bill Epstein Field.