Baseball Splits Doubleheader Slugfest with Lesley Monday

QUINCY, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene College baseball team salvaged a doubleheader split with Lesley Monday evening at Adams Field. The Lions prevailed 14-10 in game two after suffering a 5-3 setback in the opener.

The Lions progress to 6-13 on the season with the results while the Lynx move to 12-7 overall.

Steven Pesce (Harrison, N.Y.) paced the team with six hits on the night to go with three RBIs and two runs scored. Devin Haberstumpf (Forest Hills, N.Y.) posted four hits, two runs scored, and an RBI. Connor Simpson (Haverhill, Mass.) notched three base knocks, crossed the dish five times, and stole four bases. James Coury (Milford, Conn.) finished with three hits, three RBIs, and a stolen base. Matthew Urena (Flushing, N.Y.) collected a pair of hits, three RBIs, and a run scored. Nick Story (Gilbert, Ariz.) registered two hits, three runs scored, and three stolen bases. Dylan Louviaux (Mohnton, Pa.) chipped in with a pair of base knocks, two runs scored, and two RBIs.

In game one, Eastern Nazarene dropped a 5-3 decision despite narrowly out-hitting Lesley 7-6.

The visitors established a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Riley Golden belted a three-run homer to centerfield that brought in Jacob Cervantes and Justin Clark.

The home side answered with a run in the bottom of the first to cut the deficit to 3-1. Andrew Santora (Middle Village, N.Y.) roped a one-out double to right field to drive in Simpson.

Eastern Nazarene trimmed the gap to 3-2 with a run in the third inning. Simpson scored his second run of the game as Pesce singled down the left field line.

The Lions leveled the score at 3-3 in the fourth. John Greenlee (San Marcos, Calif.) scurried home on a sacrifice squeeze bunt executed by Josue Basilis (Bronx, N.Y.).

Lesley regained the lead in the top of the sixth, scoring twice to take a 5-3 edge. Mike Slaby and Will Rhone crossed the dish on a two-out base knock to center off the bat of Cervantes.

Daniel Rivera (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) hurled 3.1 innings and struck out two in his first collegiate start on the hill. Ryan Spina (Selden, N.Y.) worked two innings of relief and recorded three strikeouts. Xavier Faria (Assonet, Mass.) pitched 1.2 innings in his fourth relief outing of the spring.

In the nightcap, the Lions collected a season-best 20 base hits en route to a 14-10 victory to snap a seven-game skid.

Lesley got on the board with a pair of scores in the top of the first to claim a 2-0 advantage. J.P. Agiorgousis launched a home run down the left field line to plate Ryan Pumphret.

Eastern Nazarene cut the deficit in half, 2-1, in the bottom of the second inning. Coury raked a two-out single to drive in Story from third base.

The Lynx manufactured four runs in the third to widen the margin to 6-1. Agiorgiousis picked up an RBI single before Slaby recorded a three-run triple.

The Lions generated three scores in the home half of the third to pull to within two, 6-4. After Simpson led off the frame with a double, Pesce tripled to right to drive in Simpson. Pesce motored home as Urena rolled a grounder to the right side of the infield. Haberstumpf followed with his first collegiate home run, a solo shot to left field.

The guests tallied three times in the fourth to reclaim a five-run advantage, 9-4. Pumphret drew a bases-loaded walk to plate Ellis Intriago. Nicholas Ferragine tagged up from third and scampered home as Vincent Talierico lifted a sacrifice fly to right before Cervantes crossed the plate on a wild pitch.

The hosts pushed across five runs in the bottom of the fourth frame to tie the game at 9-9. Simpson scored for the fourth time on the night as Pesce scorched a base hit up the middle. Urena followed with a single in shallow center to drive in Pesce from second. Louviaux roped a two-out single to center to plate Urena and Story. Coury notched his second RBI of the contest with a single to left to score Louviaux for the equalizer.

Eastern Nazarene seized its first lead of the night with five runs in the fifth, 14-9. Simpson scored his team-leading 15th run of the season as he dashed home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Urena. Joe Commesso (Marshfield, Mass.) laced a two-run single to right to knock in Story and Haberstumpf. Coury followed with his third RBI base hit of the contest to drive in Louviaux from third. Joshua Bombard (Rutland, Mass.) raked a single up the middle to plate Commesso from second base.

Lesley chalked up a run in the seventh to slice the gap to 14-10. Matthew Warner doubled to deep left field to drive in Talierico from third.

Briley Seiter (Bellevue, Ky.) tossed three innings and registered five strikeouts in his second career start. AJ Morris (Coventry, R.I.) made his collegiate pitching debut before Haberstumpf took over on the mound and pitched 3.2 frames of relief while amassing six strikeouts. Zach Zaino (Falmouth, Mass.) finished the game on the mound, inducing a flyout to record the final out.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene returns to the diamond April 11 for a non-conference clash against Newbury.