Baseball Rallies Past Lesley in Home-Opener, 7-4

QUINCY, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene College baseball team erased a one-run deficit in the bottom of the sixth inning, utilizing a five-run outburst to propel the Lions to a 7-4 non-conference win over Lesley in the first home contest of the spring at Bradley Field Wednesday through pouring rain and hail.

The victory lifts the Lions to 6-14 on the season and snaps a seven-game skid. The Lynx fall to 6-13 overall with the result.

John Oglesby (Hartsville, Tenn.) paced the hosts with two base hits and three RBIs on the day. Pat Yee (Lynnfield, Mass.) landed a pair of base knocks and drove in one RBI. Cameron Fiorentino (Uxbridge, Mass.) recorded one hit, two RBIs and one run scored. Joe Cardaropoli (Agawam, Mass.) and Miguel Ortiz (New Britain, Conn.) each crossed the plate twice.

The visitors struck first in the game, plating the first run of the afternoon in the top of the third to take a 1-0 lead. David Hersey motored home as Gustavo Polidor reached on an error.

Eastern Nazarene captured a 2-1 edge with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Cardaropoli tagged up and scored from third base as Fiorentino lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to tie the game. Oglesby followed with a single up the middle to drive in Ortiz.

Lesley answered with a pair of scores in the top of the sixth to regain a one-run advantage, 3-2. Joe Muratore crossed the dish as Hersey reached base on an error. Robert Parson plated Mike Slaby with a single up the middle.

The Lions generated five runs in the home half of the sixth inning to establish a 7-3 lead. Rocco Martinelli (Panama City, Panama) trotted home as Cardaropoli drew a bases-loaded walk on four straight pitches. Fiorentino picked up his team-leading 11th RBI as he worked up a full-count before walking on a pitch in the dirt with the bases full to drive in Kurt Picarelli (Montrose, N.Y.). Oglesby sliced a single down the right field line to score Cardaropoli and Ortiz. Yee capped off the scoring as he scorched a double down the line in left field to plate Fiorentino.

The Lynx narrowed the margin to 7-4 in the seventh. Hersey landed an RBI single in right and Slaby crossed the plate.

Brandon Wynne (New Haven, Conn.) pitched 5.2 innings in his second start on the hill and racked up six strikeouts while allowing just one earned run. Antonio Ortegon (Haltom City, Texas) made his team-leading ninth appearance of the season, fanning one batter in 1.1 innings of action.

Looking ahead, Eastern Nazarene resumes conference play April 10 as it hosts Nichols at Adams Field.