Baseball Battles Back to Split Saturday Showdowns against Becker

QUINCY, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene College baseball team split a non-league doubleheader against Becker Saturday afternoon at Adams Field. The Lions dropped game one 14-10 before bouncing back to earn a 7-5 victory.

The Lions move to 11-6 on the spring with the results while the Hawks progress to 5-13 overall.

Joshua Bombard (Rutland, Mass.) paced the offense with two hits, three RBIs, and three runs scored on the day. Zachary Carmody (Babylon, N.Y.) posted a pair of base knocks, three RBIs, and one run. Connor Simpson (Haverhill, Mass.) tallied two hits and crossed the dish four times on the afternoon. James Coury (Milford, Conn.) finished with two base hits, two RBIs, and one run. Devin Haberstumpf (Forest Hills, N.Y.) and Dylan Louviaux (Mohnton, Pa.) both chipped in with two hits, two runs, and one RBI.

In the opening contest, Becker rallied in the seventh inning to prevail 14-10.                                

The home team plated one run in the bottom of the first inning. Simpson crossed the dish as Carmody reached first base on a fielder's choice.

The visitors leveled the game at 1-1 with a run in the top of the second. William Negron doubled down the left field line to score Cameron Plank.

Eastern Nazarene exploded for eight runs in the home half of the second inning to jump ahead 9-1. Coury landed a single in left to drive in Louviaux before Matthew Urena (Flushing, N.Y.) and Coury both scored as Simpson reached on a fielder's choice. Bombard raked a double down the left field line to plate Simpson and Anthony Esposito (Mount Royal, N.J.). Carmody doubled to left to score Bombard from second and Haberstumpf scorched a one-out single to knock in Carmody. Urena drove in Haberstumpf from third with a base knock to left field.

The Hawks cut the deficit to 9-2 with a score in the third frame. Chris Testa scampered home on a groundout by Willis Pollard.

Becker generated five runs in the fourth to trim the gap to 9-7. Ben Mazzone, Kevin Santiago, Josiah Shepherd, and Plank all collected RBIs in the inning for the guests.

The Lions chalked up a run in the bottom of the sixth to extend their lead to 10-7. Urena picked up his second RBI of the game as he lifted a sacrifice fly to right to plate Haberstumpf.

The Hawks rallied to score seven runs in the top of the seventh inning to claim a 14-10 advantage. Tanyon Ventres, Michael Bianco, Shepherd, Plank, and Mazzone all notched RBIs.

Alex Way (Syracuse, N.Y.) pitched 1.1 innings and registered three strikeouts. Xavier Faria (Assonet, Mass.) worked 2.1 innings in his eighth appearance out of the bullpen. Brandon Imonti (Tewksbury, Mass.) hurled 2.1 innings in his third outing of the season and fanned three. Haberstumpf and Tommy Merrick (Brockton, Mass.) also made relief pitching appearances in the game.

In the series finale, Eastern Nazarene prevailed 7-5 in a back-and-forth game to salvage the split.

Becker manufactured three runs in the top of the second inning to nab a 3-0 lead. Coby Hussey and Mazzone picked up back-to-back RBIs before Hussey scurried home as Mazzone swiped second base.

The Lions pulled to within a run with a pair of scores in the home half of the second, 3-2. Coury lifted a sacrifice fly to center to drive in Louviaux from third. Steven Pesce (Harrison, N.Y.) crossed the dish as Esposito stole second for his fifth bag of the year.

The Hawks tacked on a run in the third to widen the margin to 4-2 as Hussey drew a bases-loaded walk to knock in Bianco.

Eastern Nazarene knotted the contest at 4-4 with two runs in the bottom of the third inning. Carmody laced a single to left to plate Simpson. Bombard tagged up and dashed home from third base on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Pesce.

The visitors reclaimed the lead in the top of the fifth, scoring one run to take a 5-4 edge. Mazzone scored Plank with a sacrifice fly to centerfield.

The hosts responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame to capture their first lead of the game, 6-5. Carmody and Louviaux hit back-to-back sacrifice flies to drive in Simpson and Bombard.

The Lions added a run in the sixth to stretch their advantage to 7-5. Esposito crossed the plate as Bombard reached on a fielder's choice.

Briley Seiter (Bellevue, Ky.) threw his first collegiate complete game and recorded five strikeouts to earn his third win of the season on the mound.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene visits Fisher for a pair of contests April 2 at Fraser Field.