Baseball Settles for Twinbill Split Against Wentworth, Earns First Conference Win

QUINCY, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene College baseball team logged its first league victory before enduring a one-run loss in game two to Wentworth Saturday afternoon at Adams Field.

The Lions prevailed 5-4 in game one then absorbed a 7-6 setback to move to 14-12 on the year and 1-5 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference. The Leopards progress to 8-14 overall and 2-4 in conference play.

Colton Rice (Mesa, Ariz.) finished with four hits, four RBIs and one run scored on the afternoon. Kurt Picarelli (Montrose, N.Y) registered a pair of base knocks, two runs scored and one RBI. Jeremy Wagner (Oklahoma City, Okla.) notched two hits, one stolen base and crossed the dish twice. Cameron Fiorentino (Uxbridge, Mass.) tallied two hits, one RBI and one run while Zach Zaino (Bourne, Mass.) collected two RBIs, one hit and one run scored.

Wentworth got on the board in the bottom of the second to take a 1-0 lead. Jordan Burst crossed the dish as Jimmy Temte reached on an error.

Eastern Nazarene knotted the game at 1-1 in the top of the fourth. Jeremy Wagner scampered home on a throwing error as he stole third.

The Leopards regained a one-run advantage in the home half of the fourth, 2-1. Burst scored his second run of the game as Temte landed an RBI single in left field.

Wentworth added a run in the fifth to increase its lead to 3-1. Ross Golebiewski motored home from second base on a double to center off the bat of Tyler Weninger.

The Lions knocked in four runs in the sixth to grab a 5-3 lead. After Jeremy Wagner and Zachary Carmody (Babylon, N.Y.) singled to lead off the inning, Fiorentino roped a double to left to plate Jeremy Wagner. Rice followed with a single up the middle to drive in Carmody and Fiorentino. Nick Story (Gilbert, Ariz.) scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Zaino to cap off the scoring.

The Leopards cut the deficit to 5-4 as Burst scurried home after Johnny Ryan stole second base.

Ragan Cole (Alamogordo, N.M.) tossed five innings and struck out two in his second start of the season. Ryan Spina (Selden, N.Y.) made his seventh relief appearance of the season, facing just one batter. Xavier Faria (Assonet, Mass.) hurled one inning and fanned one hitter as he took the mound for the fifth time this spring. Zaino picked up his second save as slammed the door to seal the win, finishing with one strikeout in an inning of action.

In game two, Eastern Nazarene suffered a heart-breaking 7-6 loss.

Eastern Nazarene generated three runs in the second to establish a 3-0 lead. After Picarelli raked a double down the left field line, Rice landed a double on the line in right to drive in his seventh RBI of the year. Zaino followed with a single up the middle to knock in Rice before Anthony Esposito (Mount Royal, N.J.) stroked a single to right field to score Zaino from second.

The Lions tallied a run in the third to extend their advantage to 4-0. Brandon Wynne (West Haven, Conn.) belted his team-leading second home run of the season to left.

Wentworth plated one run in the fourth to trim the deficit to 4-1. Ryan sliced a two-out double to left-centerfield to drive in Weninger from second base.

The Leopards pulled to within one in the fifth inning, 4-3, delivering two runs. With runners on the corners, Christian Ferri singled up the middle to plate Bryon Kucharski from third. Weninger lifted a sacrifice fly to right and Matt Smith tagged up and dashed home from third base.

Eastern Nazarene rebounded with a pair of runs in the sixth to seize a 6-3 edge. After Story walked and stole second, Picarelli stroked a double to straight-away center to drive in Story for his eighth RBI of the year. Rice followed with a double to the fence in left to collect his fourth RBI on the day, scoring Picarelli from second base.

Wentworth exploded for four runs in the bottom of the seventh to capture a 7-6 win. Ferri crossed the dish on a wild pitch and Ryan followed with an RBI triple to center. Temte clinched the victory for the visitors with a two-run, walk-off homer to left.

Carmody pitched 4.1 innings and posted two strikeouts as he started on the bump for the fourth time this spring. Kenny Sorensen (Quincy, Mass.) worked two-thirds of an inning of relief in his team-best ninth outing of the year. Zaino took the mound for the second time on the afternoon, throwing 1.2 innings.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene returns to the diamond April 18 with a conference doubleheader against Salve Regina.