FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Southern Vermont College baseball team escaped a season sweep by Mitchell College as the Mountaineers split a Saturday doubleheader with the Mariners at Terry Park in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) action. MC took the front-end 10-1 before Southern Vt. won the series rubber match 8-7 on a walk-off double by junior outfielder Roland Hernandez (Pico Rivera, Calif.).
SVC moves to 3-3 on the season, 1-2 in the league, while Mitchell now sits at 5-4-1 overall, 2-1 in the NECC.
Mariner sophomore righty Tyler Shamas (Westbrook, Conn.) struck out 11 Mountaineers while pitching all seven innings of a complete Game 1 to move to 2-1 on the season. He gave up just one run on three hits as the Mariner bats tallied 10 runs on 11 hits.
Game 2 saw a dramatic finish with MC coming back from a 4-2 deficit to take a late 7-4 lead before SVC junior first baseman Cody LaBadia (Howes Cave, N.Y.) tied it up in the bottom of the 7th with a bases-clearing double. He then scored two batters later with the deep shot by Hernandez. LaBadia had a stellar series, going a combined 8-11 with seven RBIs and two runs scored in the three games against the Mariners.
Game 1: Mitchell 10, Southern Vt. 1
In the morning contest, LaBadia continued his hot hitting with a 2-3 plate performance and scored the lone Mountaineer run. Sophomore designated hitter Fabian Hance (Miami, Fla.) had the other SVC hit while going 1-2 with a walk and a stolen base, and sophomore left fielder Cameron Simpson (Warwick, R.I.) brought in the Southern Vt. run after getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
The Mariner offense was led by junior center fielder Gavin LaLima (Waterford, Conn.) who went 3-4 with two RBIs and three runs. Sophomore right fielder Neftali Arroyo (New Haven, Conn.) was 2-3 with two RBIs and a run scored, and senior designated hitter Kenneth Olszewski (Canterbury, Conn.) added a 2-4 showing at the plate while scoring a run.
Shamas walked just one SVC batter and was perfect through the first four innings, retiring the first 12 Mountaineers he faced before LaBadia broke it up to lead off the bottom of the fifth; six of his 11 strikeouts were on called third strikes. Southern Vt. sophomore southpaw Erik Johansen (Rosendale, N.Y.) suffered the loss (0-2) after giving up nine runs (six earned) on eight hits in 5.1 innings of work.
Wasting no time in taking an early lead, Mitchell put up a run in the top of the first with just a single hit. LaLima punched it out to left to lead off the inning and then moved up to second when he took off on Johansen's first move and just made it in under the tag. After a walk to junior third baseman Rafael Garcia (New Britain, Conn.), a grounder to first caused SVC to try and end the inning with a double play. LaBadia was able to shoot down to second for the first out, but the throw back to Johansen at first was a tad too late; the play lasted long enough for LaLima to motor around third and head for home as Mitchell took the quick 1-0 advantage.
Shamas made quick work of the Mountaineers in the bottom of the first and second, allowing his offense to provide the cushion necessary for the win in the top of the third. LaLima again started things off with a single, hitting the ball hard through the right side past diving sophomore RJ Pingitore (Amsterdam, N.Y.). Garcia then squared as if to sacrifice, but he pulled the bat back from a ball away that couldn't be corralled, allowing LaLima to move up to second. He then took third on a fielder's choice and subsequently scored the second Mariner run one batter later on an SVC infield miscue off the bat of senior shortstop Marc Dorsi (West Haven, Conn.).
Dorsi then swiped second to get into scoring position and moved up to third after the throw on a grounder to Mountaineer sophomore third baseman Richard Rios (Pico Rivera, Calif.). Junior catcher Ryan Goodwin (Tunkhannock, Pa.) ripped a ball through the left side of the infield to plate Dorsi and put MC ahead 3-0. That would be all that Shamas would need as he continued to have good stuff and keep the Mountaineers off the base paths.
After Johansen retired the Mariner side in order in the top half of the fifth, LaBadia started things in the bottom of the frame with a bouncing ball that jumped over junior second baseman Peter McTernan's (Union, N.J.) reach. SVC junior shortstop Chris Nicastro Jr. (Kenilworth, N.J.) attempted to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but Shamas elected to throw to second to no avail. A walk to Hance then loaded the bases for Simpson to wear a pitch on the arm and bring in what would be Southern Vt.'s only run.
The Mariners put up a crooked seven in the top of the 6th with help from two-run triples by both Arroyo and LaLima. Shamas finished it up to record his second complete game victory of the young season.
Game 2: Southern Vt. 8, Mitchell 7
LaBadia continued to be problematic for the Mariner pitching staff in the day-cap as he went 3-4 with two doubles and a triple; he had five RBIs and a run scored, that tally being the winning run. Rios was 2-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base, and Hernandez had a 2-4 performance at the dish with the game-winning RBI. Junior center fielder Sal Sciara (Massapequa, N.Y.) got on base three times to score two runs, once via a walk and twice by getting plunked. Pingitore went 1-2 with two walks, scoring three times in the win.
Freshman left fielder Tristan Hurley (Mystic, Conn.) had a solid game for the Mariners, going 2-2 with a run batted in and a stolen base, both hits coming with two outs. Junior first baseman Evan Peck (Shelton, Conn.) was 2-4 with a run scored and another knocked in, and senior catcher Will Charkowsky (Cold Spring, N.Y.) was 1-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.
Pingitore picked up the win (1-0) after blowing the save opportunity in the seventh while Mariner senior lefty Jeff Dowling (Branchburg, N.J.) took the loss (0-1) after blowing the save for starting right-handed sophomore Al Jordan Johnson (Lancaster, Calif.). Johnson allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks in his six innings on the bump while striking out four. SVC starting freshman Dylan Angelo (Ft. Johnson, N.Y.) went a strong 5.2 innings, giving up just three runs on six hits and three walks; he had two strikeouts on the day.
Once again, Mitchell got its offense running in the top of the first as Garcia came around to score after working a one-out walk; Olszewski punched one through the left side of the infield to move Garcia up to second, and Peck then ripped a two-out single through the right side for the run to come around and score.
Southern Vt. refused to let the Mitchell momentum prohibit its own offense, responding with a pair to take the lead in the bottom of the frame. After Sciara was hit by a pitch and Pingitore walked, Nicastro hit it at Peck who tried to go to his backhand. The ball bounced off the glove and rolled far enough away for Nicastro to reach and Sciara to sprint around third and make his way home safely. Nicastro then took off for second on the first move by Johnson but was able to slide in safely to second while Pingitore plated the second SVC run.
The Mountaineer defense was strong for Angelo through the next two innings including Nicastro who ranged to his left and fired to first while on the run for the second out of the third. The next batter hit one out towards left where SVC freshman Joshua Hay (South Glens Falls, N.Y.) made a forward-diving catch.
Southern Vt. was able to increase its lead in the bottom of the third as Rios made his way to third before LaBadia blasted a triple to right, too far to be tracked down by Arroyo. Nicastro then walked and again made his way to second on a failed pickoff by Mitchell, but Johnson solicited the inning-ending pop-up to prevent further damage.
In the next frame, the Mariners cut into the SVC lead after McTernan worked a one-out walk. Charkowsky stepped into one and put it over Hernandez's head in right; Southern Vt. got the ball in and tried to put out McTernan at home, but the back-end of the relay sailed high. True to practiced form, Angelo was backing up the play, caught the ball and immediately fired to third where Rios was able to apply the tag to Charkowsky and slow down the MC momentum.
Down 3-2, Mitchell came close to tying it up in the top of the fifth. Garcia led-off the inning with a double down the left field line and then moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt. Southern Vt.'s decision to pull the infield in paid off as Olszewski hit one right at Pingitore at second; he knocked it down, gathered the ball and faked a throw home when Garcia motioned like he was going to break for the plate. Garcia halted, however, and Pingitore made the easy out at first for the second of the inning. Peck came up next and put a good drive into the ball, but Sciara was required to take just a few steps over and in to make the out and end the threat.
SVC then extended its lead in the bottom of the inning when LaBadia turned a Pingitore walk into a run with a double to right-center field for the 4-2 advantage.
The Mountaineers would not stay ahead for long, however, as Mitchell ended Angelo's day with a lead-off walk followed by a balk call. The next batter bounced to short, but once Nicastro made the throw to first for the out, Arroyo took off for third. After an SVC pitching change, Hurley hit a booming double to left-center to make it a 4-3 ballgame. Pingitore then moved from second to the mound where he loaded the bases with a wild pitch followed by a walk. The suspense mounted as Pingitore started Dorsi off with three straight balls, teetering on walking in the tying run. He then threw two called strikes, however, to set up the two-out payoff pitch. Dorsi swung and popped it up, allowing Hernandez to camp under and make the third out with Southern Vt. still holding a narrow lead.
After the Mountaineers were hard-pressed to manufacture runs in the bottom of the sixth, Mitchell turned the tables with a four-run top of the seventh. Arroyo walked to make it first and second with one out, and a grounder to first went off LaBadia's chest and far enough away for the Mariners to load the pond. Charkowsky came to the plate and checked his swing at a pitch, appearing to get hit in the arm; the home plate umpired deemed that it hit the bat, instead, and the plate appearance continued despite appeal from the MC coaching staff.
Two pitches later, however, Pingitore nailed Charkowsky square in the back for an undisputed hit by pitch, allowing the tying run to cross. A wild pitch during the next at-bat then made way for Arroyo to score the go-ahead run, and the Mariners would tack on another on a pinch hit single up the middle by Goodwin. With runners at the corners, Goodwin took off for second, drawing a throw by Mountaineer freshman catcher Tony Mercuri (Ridge, N.Y.); Goodwin put on the breaks and got into a run-down just long enough to allow pinch-running senior Lucas Mariani (North Kingstown, R.I.) to cross for the 7-4 lead.
With their last chance at the plate to extend the game, Southern Vt. brought the top of its order to start the inning. Sciara patiently worked the walk before Rios lined one over Dowling's head. Pingitore then made solid contact through the right side between the first and second basemen to load them up for LaBadia.
A mound visit attempted to calm Dowling and slow down the SVC success, but LaBadia continued to be red-hot at the plate and came through with a clutch two-base blast to left-center that allowed the two leading runners to cross with ease. On his horse, Pingitore made his way toward home as Mitchell quickly got the ball in, but the relay to the plate was too far to the right as Pingitore dove head-first to the left side of the dish, touching it for the tying score.
Mitchell then intentionally walked Nicastro to set up a force out at any base but home as Hernandez made his way to the batter's box. He got a pitch he liked, connected and made his way down to touch first while LaBadia crossed home into the arms of his waiting teammates as they celebrated their first conference win of the season.
Southern Vt. turns to its Sunday morning bout with Lasell College at 10 a.m. at Terry Park while Mitchell returns home and prepares for a conference doubleheader with Newbury College next Saturday, March 22 starting 12 p.m.