Baseball Collects Two Non-Conference Victories Over Anna Maria

WORCESTER, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene baseball team swept former conference foe Anna Maria Thursday afternoon in a non-league twinbill at Assumption College.

The Lions logged wins of 6-2 and 10-4 to rise to 10-11 on the spring. The AMCats slip to 5-22 overall with the losses.

Pat Yee (Lynnfield, Mass.) paced Eastern Nazarene with five hits, three RBIs, one run scored and a stolen base on the day. Rocco Martinelli (Panama City, Panama) racked up four base knocks and four RBIs in the doubleheader.

Jeremy Wagner (Oklahoma City, Okla.) finished with four hits and crossed the plate three times. Max Pugh (San Diego, Calif.) notched three hits, two RBIs, two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. Anthony Berroa (Teaneck, N.J.) chipped in with three base hits, four runs scored and a stolen base.

Eastern Nazarene opened the scoring in the top of the first inning, plating a pair of runs. Jeremy Wagner came around to score as David Manning (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) reached on a fielder's choice. Berroa scored the away team's second run of the contest, bolting for home as Manning swiped second base.

The Lions added three runs in the third to stretch their advantage to 5-0. Berroa motored home from first on an RBI double off the bat of Manning. Martinelli picked up a pair of RBIs with a single to centerfield to plate Pugh and Manning.

The visitors tacked on a run in the fourth inning to claim a six-run edge, 6-0. Jeremy Wagner crossed the plate as Berroa reached base on an error.

Anna Maria got on the board in the sixth, cutting the deficit to 6-1. Carlos Ortiz scored on an error that allowed David Julian to reach base with two outs.

The AMCats tallied a run in the home half of the seventh to pull to within four, 6-2. Joshua Creamer touched the dish on a fielder's choice.

Brandon Wells (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) worked a complete game on the mound, striking out seven to earn his third victory of the season.

The Lions manufactured seven runs in the top of the first inning of game two to control a commanding 7-0 lead.

The home side got a run back in the bottom of the second inning to slice the deficit to 7-1. John Sullivan scored on an error after Matthew Leahey singled to left.

Eastern Nazarene responded with a run in the third to reclaim a seven-run edge, 8-1. Kurt Picarelli (Montrose, N.Y.) rounded third and scampered home on an RBI single to left-center by Yee.

Anna Maria scored in the home half of the fourth to trim the margin to 8-2 as Ortiz was awarded home on a balk.

The two teams each plated a pair of runs in the sixth inning to push the score to 10-4.

In the top of the frame, Martinelli laced a single down the right field line to drive in Berroa and Manning.

The AMCats bounced back in the bottom of the inning as Leahey landed an RBI single in left before Creamer was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Quentin Moore (Sheridan, Calif.) pitched five innings and struck out three batters to pick up the victory on the hill. Joey Napolitano (Millerton, N.Y.), Nick Penkala (Nashua, N.H.) and Doug English (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) all tossed two-thirds of an inning in relief appearances.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene returns home to take on Lasell in a nine-inning non-conference clash April 18 at Bradley Field.