Baseball Prevails in Midweek Matchup Against Hilbert, 16-6

FORT PIERCE, Fla.- The Eastern Nazarene College baseball team rolled to a 16-6 victory over Hilbert Wednesday afternoon.

The Lions improve to 2-1 on the season while Hawks flutter to 2-3 overall.

Andrew Santora (Middle Village, N.Y.) drove in a career-high five RBIs and matched his career-best with three base knocks on the day. Devin Haberstumpf (Forest Hills, N.Y.) racked up three hits and scored two runs. Zach Zaino (Bourne, Mass.) finished with a pair of base hits, three runs scored, and two RBIs. Steven Pesce (Harrison, N.Y.) crossed the dish three times in the contest and landed one hit. Nick Story (Gilbert, Ariz.) notched one base knock, two RBIs, and a pair of runs scored while Josue Basilis (Bronx, N.Y.) collected two RBIs and tallied two runs.

Hilbert got on the board first, scoring once in the top of the second to claim a 1-0 lead. Eric Flores motored home from while the Lions turned a double play.

Eastern Nazarene plated four runs in the bottom of the frame to carve out a 4-1 advantage. Haberstumpf scored as Story reached first on an error. Pesce tagged up from third and dashed home after Basilis lifted a sacrifice fly to center. Santora followed with a two-out double to left to drive in Story and Zaino.

The Lions widened the margin to 8-1 with four scores in the third inning. Zaino scorched a single to left to plate Pesce and Haberstumpf. Basilis hoisted his second sacrifice fly of the day to knock in Connor Simpson (Haverhill, Mass.) from third base. Santora raked his second double and picked up his third RBI of the contest as Zaino crossed the dish.

The Hawks pushed across four runs in the fourth to cut the deficit to 8-5. Flores, Michael Best, Brandon Zicari, and Taylor Haug all registered RBIs in the frame for Hilbert.

Eastern Nazarene tacked on three runs in the fifth inning to stretch the gap to 11-5. Story and Basilis both scored as Zachary Carmody (Babylon, N.Y.) reached on an error. Dylan Louivaux (Mohnton, Pa.) slid into home as the Lions executed a double steal with runners on the corners and two outs.

The Lions added a pair of scores in the home half of the sixth to extend their lead to 13-5. Story laced a single to left to drive in Pesce from second base. Simpson crossed the dish for the second time in the game after tagging up on a fly ball by Santora.

Hilbert chalked up a run in the seventh to pull to within seven, 13-6. Best singled to right to plate Kevin Moore.

Eastern Nazarene capped off the scoring with three runs in the eighth. Zaino rounded third and dashed home as Santora laced a single to left field. Carmody stroked a two-out single to center to drive in Basilis and Louviaux.

Cameron Fiorentino (Uxbridge, Mass.) started on the hill and hurled five innings while fanning one batter. Xavier Faria (Assonet, Mass.) made his second appearance out of the bullpen this spring and tossed two innings. Daniel Rivera (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) worked two scoreless innings of relief and recorded two strikeouts in his collegiate debut.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene returns to action March 9 for a pair of contests against Elizabethtown.