Baseball Splits Senior Day Series Against Curry Friday

QUINCY, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene baseball team traded victories with Curry Friday afternoon at Adams Field in the 2014 season finale. The Lions suffered a 9-0 loss in the opening game before outslugging the Colonels 14-10 in the second tilt.

Eastern Nazarene caps off the 2014 campaign with a 13-16 overall record and a 4-12 mark in the Commonwealth Coast Conference. Curry ends the spring sporting a 9-24 record with a 2-14 mark in league action.

Joey Napolitano (Millerton, N.Y.) paced the hosts with three hits, three RBIs and one run scored on the day. Senior Anthony Berroa (Teaneck, N.J.) collected three base knocks and crossed the plate once. Pat Yee (Lynnfield, Mass.) notched two hits, two runs and one RBI in the twinbill while senior David Manning (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) and Jeremy Wagner (Oklahoma City, Okla.) added two base knocks and two runs each.

Curry picked up a pair of runs in the top of the second inning to claim a 2-0 edge. Nick Crivello scored the game's first run as he motored home from first on a throwing error. Alex McLean followed with a sacrifice fly to drive in Derek Pizarro.

The Colonels doubled their advantage to 4-0 in the fourth frame. Tyler Armstrong drew a bases loaded walk before McLean crossed the dish on a wild pitch.

The visitors added a run in the fifth to extend their lead to 5-0 as John Arens tagged up and scored from third base on a sacrifice fly to centerfield by Matt Warren.

Curry plated four runs in the seventh to widen the gap to 9-0. Tanner Givens singled through the left side of the infield to plate Arens and Pizarro lifted a sacrifice fly to score Tim Lathrop. Ben Riordan drove in Crivello and Givens with a one-out single up the middle.

Frank Fusco (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) tossed five innings and registered two strikeouts. Doug English (Myrtle Beach, S.C.), Nathan Russell (San Diego, Calif.) and Quentin Moore (Sheridan, Calif.) all made relief pitching appearances for the home side.

Eastern Nazarene opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning of the nightcap. Yee was awarded home on a balk before Jeremy Wagner slid in safely while stealing home.

The Colonels got on the board in the top of the second to slice the margin in half, 2-1. Givens motored home on a ground out by Pizarro to the second baseman.

The visitors evened the contest at 2-2 in the third inning as Arens hooked a single to right field to drive in R.J. McCann from third.

The Lions pushed across four runs in the fourth to seize a 6-2 advantage. Napolitano raked a doubled down the right field line with the bases loaded to plate Jake Koch (Dayton, Nev.), Justin Wagner (Oklahoma City, Okla.) and Manning. Yee followed with an RBI base knock, lacing a singled up the middle to score Napolitano from second base.

Curry chalked up a run in the fifth to narrow the gap to 6-3 as Armstrong crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Lathrop.

An eight-run outburst in the bottom of the fifth increased the home team's lead to double digits, 14-3. Rocco Martinelli (Panama City, Panama) came around to score the first run of the inning as Manning reached base and advanced to third on an error. Senior Alex Alcantara (Bronx, N.Y.) drove in his first RBI of the season with a single to right to plate Manning.

Senior Max Pugh (San Diego, Calif.) followed with a pinch-hit double to right-center to score Justin Wagner and Alcantara. Spyro Varetimos (North Attleboro, Mass.) scampered home on a wild pitch before Jeremy Wagner and Yee both crossed the plate as Martinelli got on base on an error.

The Colonels scored once in the top of the sixth inning, cutting the deficit to 14-4. McCann singled down the line in right field to drive in Riordan.

 The visitors rallied in the final frame, tallying six runs to pull to 14-10. Pizarro, McLean, Riordan, McCann and Warren all picked up RBIs for the visitors in the inning.

Berroa pitched six innings in his final collegiate start for the Lions. The senior struck out two batters en route to earning his fourth win of the season.

Nick Penkala (Nashua, N.H.) and Moore combined to work the seventh inning with Penkala recording his first save of the spring.

Prior to the first pitch of the day, the Eastern Nazarene baseball and softball teams each recognized their respective senior classes. Seniors Alex Alcantara, Anthony Berroa, Jeff Greenfield, David Manning, Nathan Russell and Max Pugh were all honored before their final home contests.