Baseball Splits with Undefeated Otterbein on Opening Day in Florida

FORT MYERS, Fla.- The Eastern Nazarene College baseball team rebounded from suffering a 14-6 setback in game one to earn an impressive 4-0 victory over Otterbein in the second contest, handing the Cardinals their first loss of the season, Saturday afternoon in Florida.

The Lions start the spring with a 1-1 overall record with the doubleheader split. The Cardinals move to 9-1 on the year.

Pat Yee (Lynnfield, Mass.) racked up three base hits, two runs scored and one stolen base on the day. Cameron Fiorentino (Uxbridge, Mass.) notched three base knocks in three at-bats while also crossing the plate once. Jeremy Wagner (Oklahoma City, Okla.) collected two base hits on the day and scored one run. Jesus Rivera (Homesead, Fla.) and Brandon Wynne (New Haven, Conn.) each drove in a team-high two RBIs in the twinbill.

Eastern Nazarene dropped the opening contest to Otterbein, 14-6.

Eastern Nazarene fell behind 2-0 in the top of the first of game one. Otterbein's J.C. Gibson singled to right to drive in Jake Simmerman and Tyler Kent.

The Lions got a run back in the bottom of the second inning to cut the deficit to 2-1. With runners on the corners, Justin Wagner (Oklahoma City, Okla.) dropped down a sacrifice bunt to score Rocco Martinelli (Panama City, Panama) from third.

The Cardinals responded with a pair of runs in the third to widen the gap to 4-1. Simmerman blasted a two-run homer to left field.

Otterbein tacked on three scores in the fourth to increase the margin to 7-1. Mark Walton drew a bases-loaded walk before Taylor Hutchinson and Kent followed with RBI singles.

The Cardinals tallied two runs in the fifth to go ahead 9-1 as Walton was awarded home on a balk and Jordan Ashbrook walked with the bases loaded.

Eastern Nazarene plated one run in the bottom half of the fifth to trim the gap to 9-2. Martinelli led off the inning by reaching first base on a hit-by-pitch. Jake Koch (Dayton, Nev.) raked a double to left to drive in Martinelli from first.

Otterbein pushed its lead to 13-2 in the sixth on a sacrifice fly to centerfield by Kent and a three-run home run by Simmerman, his second of the game and fourth of the season.

The Lions answered with four runs in the home half of the sixth to narrow the margin to 13-6. Jeremy Wagner scampered home on a wild pitch before Miguel Ortiz (New Britain, Conn.) tagged up from third and scored as Wynne lifted a sacrifice fly to right field. Yee crossed the plate on a groundout by Martinelli and Jose Arebalo (Brentwood, Calif.) capped off the inning by trotting home on an errant throw after stealing third.

The Cardinals picked up a run in the sixth to gain a 14-6 advantage. Ty Compton singled to left to score Nich Pitzer from second.

Frank Fusco (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) started game one on the mound and pitched three innings while fanning three batters. Rob Dukes (Spencer, Mass.) tossed two innings of relief and registered a pair of strikeouts. Will Medina (Milton, Mass.) worked one inning of relief action on the hill before Bobby Barber (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) tossed the final frame and posted one strikeout.

In game two, the Lions rallied behind rookie Brent Houle (Westfield, Mass.) in his first collegiate start to defeat the Cardinals 4-0.

Houle tossed a gem in his first action of the spring, striking out three batters while surrendering just four hits and zero runs in six innings of work en route to securing his first win of the season.

Eastern Nazarene chalked up two runs in the top of the first inning of game two. Wynne hoisted a sacrifice fly to right field to score Fiorentino. Yee scored the second run of the frame as he scooted home on a passed ball.

 The Lions doubled their advantage in the sixth, 4-0. Martinelli drew a one-out walk and Kurt Picarelli (Montrose, N.Y.) sliced a double down the right field line. With two runners in scoring position, Rivera roped a double to right-center to drive in both runs.

Doug English (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) relieved Houle on the mound in the seventh inning. The senior worked around two walks in the inning to close out the game as he induced three flyouts.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene returns to action March 9 with a doubleheader against Defiance.