WATERTOWN, Mass. — Southern Vermont College split a Sunday doubleheader at Victory Field against Newbury College in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) baseball action, losing 2-1 in 10 innings before responding with an 11-3 win in the day-cap.
The Nighthawks (9-11, 5-5 NECC) take the season series with the day's share after winning the first game Saturday afternoon. Southern Vermont moves to 5-6 with the split, grabbing its first NECC victory in the process (1-2).
Pitching was strong for both teams in the opening contest as neither side could push across a run through the regularly-scheduled seven innings. After another two scoreless frames, Newbury finally broke the deadlock in the bottom of the 10th for the walk-off win. The Mountaineer bats answered with 11 runs on 11 hits in game two as SVC scored in every inning except the seventh during the 11-3 triumph.
Southern Vermont is slated to hold its home opener on Tuesday as the Mountaineers welcome Mass. College of Liberal Arts to Epstein Field for a 3:30 p.m. first pitch.
GAME 1: Newbury 1, Southern Vermont 0 (10 innings)
The early-morning matchup was a pitchers' duel from the start. Finally, in the third extra inning, Newbury was able to cross the plate on a game-winning single to take the series.
Mountaineer right-handed starter Jean-Carlos Berasgoico (New York, N.Y.) went a solid, scoreless seven innings on the hill, striking out eight while giving up just four hits and three walks. NC sophomore Ethan Forrest (East Bridgewater, Mass.) took the win (2-1) after throwing all 10 innings for the complete-game shutout; he surrendered just three hits and a walk while striking out two on the day. SVC freshman reliever Nick Hartman (Hartland, Conn.) was strapped with the loss (1-1), giving up the winning run after 2.2 innings out of the pen.
Southern Vermont senior shortstop Chris Nicastro Jr. (Kenilworth, N.J.) and junior third baseman Richard Rios (Pico Rivera, Calif.) were both 1-4 at the dish while freshman designated hitter Eric Fields (Lakewood, Calif.) added a 1-2 showing with the bat.
Both teams worked a runner to scoring position in the first to no avail, and SVC then got a runner to second once again in the following inning. The runner would get thrown out trying to steal third, and the game remained a scoreless deadlock after Berasgoico retired the Newbury side in order with the help of two strikeouts.
Each side went down 1-2-3 in the third, and first base would be the furthest a runner from each team could reach safely in the fourth. Three Mountaineer ground outs ended the top of the fifth easily for Forrest, but the Nighthawks wouldn't stay in the dugout for long as a hit by pitch saw the only runner reach in the home half of the frame. A double play in the top of the sixth erased the SVC runner on first before Newbury threatened to break through in the bottom of the inning; a pair of one-out singles saw NC get ducks on first and second, and a fly out moved them both into scoring position. But Berasgoico got the next batter to hit one into right where SVC senior Roland Hernandez (Pico Rivera, California) made the snag to end the danger.
Nicastro singled to lead-off the seventh, and he moved up on an ensuing sacrifice bunt. The next at bat saw the ball get hit back to Forrest, and he was able to fire over to third to get the runner on the tag out. A Newbury pinch-running stolen base got a Nighthawk 180 feet from getting on the scoreboard, but Nicastro corralled the ball on a following grounder and threw to third in time to retire the runner. Not out of the woods yet, Berasgoico gave up a walk to put Nighthawks at first and second; but he worked his final strikeout of the day to wrap up the inning and keep the tie preserved, sending the game to extras.
Southern Vermont went down in order in the top of the eighth before NC nearly got across the plate once again. A one-out double and subsequent wild pitch put a Nighthawk on third to represent the go-ahead tally, and the Mountaineers then elected to intentionally walk the next batter. With runners at the corners, Hartman induced a ground out to first that held the runner at third; now with the pair in scoring position for Newbury, Hartman was able to end the frame with a called third strike.
Forrest returned to the hill in the groove, sitting down SVC in order once again. An NC lead-off single in the bottom of the ninth got the winning run on board, but he would be quickly erased trying to stretch it into a double as Hernandez fired to Nicastro at second in time for the out. The next two Nighthawks couldn't make anything happen as the game went to the 10th.
The Newbury hurler recorded his fifth 1-2-3 inning of the game in the top of the box, retiring 10 straight SVC batters by its end. Forrest wouldn't have a chance to extend that streak as his offense came through to give him his second win of the season. With two outs, NC senior first baseman Cameron D'Agostino (Salisbury, Mass.) wore a pitch to make his way down to first. He moved up to second on an ensuing single, and freshman shortstop Billy Stephen (Windermere, Fla.) then registered the game-winning hit for Newbury to walk-off with its second one-run victory over SVC in as many days.
GAME 2: Southern Vermont 11, Newbury 3
The Mountaineers put up a pair of runs in the top of the first and never looked back for their first league win of the season. SVC added another three in the second and two more in the third for a quick 7-0 lead. Newbury put across one in the bottom of the third, but Southern Vermont then answered with two of its own to go up 9-1 before the Nighthawks trimmed the gap with two in the bottom of the fourth. That would be the last time Newbury would score, however, as the Mountaineer bullpen kept NC off the scoreboard while the offense added a run in both the fifth and sixth innings.
Nicastro went 1-3 with a pair of RBIs while being a part of three double plays defensively. Hernandez was 2-2 at the plate, both hits being doubles, while adding two runs scored, two runs knocked in, a walk, and two stolen bases in the victory.
Sophomore catcher Anthony Mercuri (Ridge, N.Y.) had a 2-4 showing at the dish, scoring two runs while batting in another; he and freshman third baseman Jake Sisk (Tallahassee, Fla.), who was also 2-4 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI, each tagged a double in the effort. Senior center fielder Sal Sciara (Massapequa, N.Y.) had a hit, two runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base while junior second baseman RJ Pingitore (Amsterdam, N.Y.) was 1-2 with two walks, two runs scored and a stolen base.
Mountaineer senior right-hander Dustyn Marfyak (Torrington, Conn.) went four innings with the start, giving up three runs on four hits for his second win of the season (2-1). SVC relievers threw a scoreless three innings with junior righty Chris Bradt (Glenmont, N.Y.) going for a pair and junior Brandon Casella (Pittsfield, Mass.) tossing the last frame. Newbury senior Ryan Sinclair (Portsmouth, R.I.) made it just two innings with the ball, giving up five runs on five hits in the loss (1-1).
Sciara started the game with a double, and he stole third right away. A pair of putouts ensued before Pingitore walked to put runners at the corners. Both Mountaineers came around to score on the next at bat when Hernandez roped a two-run double to give his team the edge. Mercuri and Sisk tallied one-out singles in the top of the second, and a Newbury error allowed the lead runner to score as Sisk moved up to third. Rios then tacked up an RBI with a single, and senior first baseman Cody LaBadia (Howes Cave, N.Y.) followed with a ground out to first that allowed Sciara to come in from third for the 5-0 advantage.
After Marfyak sat down the NC side in order in the bottom of the first, he faced just three batters in the second as a lead-off error was wiped away on an inning-ending double play started by the senior hurler. His offense then padded the cushion, giving him two more runs of support in the top of the third. Hernandez led-off the frame with his second double, and he stole third to stand 90 feet from home with two down. Mercuri came through with his two-bagger to score the right fielder, and he then advanced on a wild pitch. Sisk added his double to score his catcher for the Mountaineers to take a strong 7-0 upper hand.
Three straight hits started the home half of the third for the Nighthawks, their run being scored in that stretch. Marfyak was able to work out of the jam, however, with a fly out and an ensuing double play turned by the SVC middle infield. Southern Vermont padded its lead in the fourth with another two runs, the first coming when the visitors executed a double steal with Pingitore and Hernandez at the corners. Hernandez came around and scored on the following at bat when Nicastro hit an RBI single for the 9-1 advantage.
NC manufactured a pair of scores in the bottom of the fourth, the first coming on a bases-loaded walk for the second Nighthawk run. A sacrifice fly to center then plated D'Agostino with what would end up being the last Newbury run of the day.
Southern Vermont tacked up a single run in the top of the fifth with help from a Newbury fielding error, and Bradt then sat down the Nighthawks in order to send the game to the sixth with SVC ahead 10-3. Nicastro recorded a sacrifice fly to right in the top of the frame, scoring LaBadia from third to make it 11-3. NC worked a pair of runners on base with no outs in the bottom of the sixth, but Bradt got Stephen to ground into another double play turned by the SVC middle infield before getting a final ground out to end the inning.
The Mountaineers got a runner to third in the seventh, but that's where he would be stranded with the game heading to the final half inning. Newbury registered a pair of singles with no outs, neither of which would turn into a run as Casella retired the next three Nighthawks in order to wrap up the victory.