NEW LONDON, Conn. — Southern Vermont College opened up its 2016 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) schedule Saturday afternoon at Mitchell College, falling in both games of the league doubleheader at Alumni Field by 9-7 and 9-4 margins.
MC led the whole way of game one, fending off a Mountaineer push in the latter part of the contest to squeak by. The Mountaineers, who batted as the home team in the second matchup of the day, went in front early with a lone run, only to see the Mariners go ahead with five over the next three innings for a lead they would keep through the final out.
Southern Vermont (3-11, 0-2 NECC) is next in action on Wednesday to finish up the Conference series with the Mariners; that rubber match will serve as the Mountaineers' Opening Day as they will welcome MC to Bill Epstein Field for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
GAME 1: Mitchell 9 – Southern Vermont 7
Mitchell took a 3-1 lead after the second inning of the day's opener before taking up another five through the next two frames. Southern Vermont cut into its deficit with three runs in both the fifth and sixth innings but could not complete the comeback as the Mariners closed out their first victory.
Mountaineer freshman catcher Dan Mason (Bloomingdale, N.J.) went 2-4 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored while senior shortstop RJ Pingitore (Perth, N.Y.) was 1-4 with a run scored and another pair batted in.
SVC junior righty Joshua Hay (South Glens Falls, N.Y.) suffered the loss (0-3), despite giving up just one earned run in four innings on the mound; he struck out two Mariner batters on the day.
After Mitchell chalked up three runs in the top of the first, SVC took to the scoreboard in the following at bat. Southern Vermont freshman right fielder Cody Sullivan (Brunswick, N.Y.) took a pitch to the body to start the inning, and he moved all the way around to third with a pair of passed balls. Mason then knocked his classmate in, ripping a two-out single through the right side to make it a 3-1 ballgame.
That score would be sustained until the bottom of the third when MC increased its separation with four runs on two hits and a pair of Mountaineer miscues. The Mariners added another lone run in the fourth to go up 8-1 before SVC cut into its deficit with three in the top of the fifth.
All of the Mountaineer's action came with two outs, sophomore second baseman Niko D'Agnese (Mahopac, N.Y.) getting all the way to second by way of a Mitchell error in the outfield to start it. Pingitore stepped up and singled to center, bringing around the first SVC run of the frame. Sullivan then tagged a double to left center for a pair of Mountaineers to get into scoring position, and an ensuing MC fielding mishap in center field allowed them both to touch the plate for Southern Vermont to trail just 8-4.
The four-run Mariner lead would quickly be extended as the hosts put up their final run of the game in the bottom of the fifth. SVC came right back with three in the sixth, however, to get within a pair. Sophomore third baseman John Arancio (Oradell, N.J.) led-off with a single up the middle, and Mason pushed the runner up 90 feet as he followed with a base hit through the right side.
A ground out to the MC pitcher advanced both runners before an error by the Mitchell third baseman allowed Arancio to score. D'Agnese legged out a one-out bunt single to load the bases, and all three runners on board then moved up on another Mariner passed ball. Pingitore grounded down to short, allowing the third SVC run of the inning to cross home and cut it to a 9-7 MC edge.
Pingitore moved from shortstop to the bump in the bottom of the sixth, getting Mitchell to go down in order with all three outs coming in the air. In its final chance to tie or take the lead, Southern Vermont started the seventh with a leadoff single to right by junior designated hitter Niko Horwith (La Crescenta, Calif.). He would advance to second with two down but get no further, however, as a fly out to left wrapped it up for MC.
GAME 2: Mitchell 9 – Southern Vermont 4
The Mountaineers took to a quick 1-0 lead after their turn at the plate to start the day-cap. Mitchell responded, scoring three in second and a pair over the next two innings to go in front 5-1. Southern Vermont was able to scratch across three runs through the sixth, but the Mariners increased their advantage with two more in both the sixth and seventh while holding off the SVC offense to finish off the day's sweep.
Mason tallied his second straight multi-hit game in the effort, going 2-3 with a walk and an RBI. Junior designated hitter Anthony Mercuri (Ridge, N.Y.) was also 2-3 at the plate with a double, knocking in a pair of runs and scoring another while D'Agnese registered a 2-4 showing from the batter's box.
SVC sophomore right-hander Jean-Carlos Berasgoico (New York City, N.Y.) took the loss from the hill (1-2), giving up seven runs (four earned) with five strikeouts on the day.
Mitchell got a runner aboard in the top of the first, but Mason gunned him down trying to steal second to get the Mountaineers back into the dugout. That's when they grabbed their first lead of the day, albeit a slim one as SVC crossed the dish once in the bottom of the frame. Pingitore got plunked to get aboard, and he then moved up a base on a fielder's choice off the bat of Sullivan. A walk to Horwith would load the pond for Southern Vermont, and Mercuri worked the two-out walk to allow Sullivan to trot home and make it a 1-0 game.
The Mariners had an answer in the second, scoring three times to go on top. MC added another single run in both the third and the fourth while keeping the Mountaineers from getting past second. After the Mariners went down in order in the top of the fifth, SVC tallied a pair of runs to trim its deficit down to 5-3. Sullivan reached base with a one-out error by Mitchell, and he motored around to third on an ensuing double to right by Horwith. Mercuri moved both runners up with his second RBI of the game, singling to right for Sullivan to come in. Two batters later, Mason roped a double to center for Mercuri to score from second with Southern Vermont's third run.
Once again, however, MC had a response as the Mariners notched a couple of runs in the sixth. SVC was able to get one back in the bottom of the box after a D'Agnese single up the middle put Mountaineer runners at the corners with no outs. Pingitore sent a grounder down to short where Mitchell retired D'Agnese at second, allowing Southern Vermont freshman center fielder Zack Stacey (Saratoga, N.Y.) to score from third.
The Mariner offensive success continued into the seventh as MC manufactured a pair of runs on just two hits to go up 9-4. Down to its final at bat, Southern Vermont got some two-down magic going with back-to-back singles, but Mitchell induced the final out in foul territory to put it away and stay undefeated in league action.