Baseball Concludes Season in NECC Tournament Saturday

NEW LONDON, Conn.- The Eastern Nazarene College baseball team triumphed 14-5 over Lesley before falling to top-seeded Mitchell in the NECC Tournament Saturday to wrap up the 2019 campaign.

The Lions finish the spring with a 21-19 overall record, the program's first winning-record since 2007 and the most victories since 2004.

Zachary Carmody (Babylon, N.Y.) racked up seven hits on the afternoon to go with a pair of RBIs and two runs scored. Joshua Bombard (Rutland, Mass.) collected five RBI, three hits and two runs. Anthony Esposito (Mount Royal, N.J.) finished with five base knocks, three RBIs, and three runs scored. Josue Basilis (Bronx, N.Y.) chipped in with three hits and a team-best four runs scored.

Eastern Nazarene bested Lesley 14-5 in an elimination game to begin the day.

Lesley snagged a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning. Nicholas Ferragine singled to right field to plate Leo DiGuilio from second base. Javi Martinez laced an RBI single to drive in Will Rhone before Ferragine tagged up and scampered home on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Pumphret.

Eastern Nazarene exploded four seven runs in the top of the fourth to capture a 7-3 advantage. With the bases full, Dylan Louviaux (Mohnton, Pa.) and Matthew Urena (Flushing, N.Y.) landed back-to-back RBI singles to score Carmody and Basilis. Connor Simpson (Haverhill, Mass.) drew a bases-loaded walk to knock in Louviaux before Esposito raked a bases-clearing double to drive in James Coury (Milford, Conn.), Simpson, and Urena. Steven Pesce (Harrison, N.Y.) capped off the inning with a base knock to right to plate Esposito from second.

The Lynx tallied a run in the home half of the fourth to cut the deficit 7-4. Ferragine singled up the middle to drive in Matt Bavaro.

The Lions tacked on a pair of runs in the seventh to widen the gap to 9-4. Bombard belted his first collegiate home run, a two-run shot to score Basilis.

Eastern Nazarene manufactured five runs in the eighth to push its advantage to 14-4. Carmody lifted a sacrifice fly to plate Simpson. Bombard drew a bases-loaded walk to knock in Esposito before Louviaux roped a single to left-center to drive in Basilis and Pesce. Bombard crossed the dish as Urena reached on a fielder's choice.

Lesley trimmed the margin to 14-5 with a run in the bottom of the ninth as Pumphret launched a solo homer.

Brent Houle (Westfield, Mass.) pitched 3.1 innings in his 10th start of the spring and finished with two strikeouts. Brandon Imonti (Tewksbury, ,Mass.) tossed 5.2 innings in his sixth appearance out of the bullpen to pick up the win.

In the nightcap, Eastern Nazarene was eliminated from the NECC Tournament with a narrow 4-3 loss to Mitchell.

The Mariners seized a 1-0 edge in the top of the second inning. Steven Pagan crossed the dish as Sam Majewski reached on a fielder's choice.

The Lions clawed back to tie the contest at 1-1 with a run in the third. Carmody slapped a double to left to drive in Esposito from second base.

Mitchell reclaimed a one-run advantage with one run in the fifth, 2-1. Eric Marriott flared an RBI single to left field to plate Jeremy Santos.

Eastern Nazarene jumped ahead, 3-2, with a pair of runs in the sixth inning. Bombard roped a one-out double to the gap in left-center to score Basilis and Carmody.

The Mariners captured a 4-3 lead with two scores in the eighth. Peter Abate and Santos each notched RBI singles in the frame as Nick Morrell and Abate both scored.

Brenndan Rogers (Hanson, Mass.) hurled 5.2 innings in his ninth start and registered four strikeouts. Briley Seiter (Bellevue, Ky.), Morgan Weast (Cincinnati, Ohio), Daniel Rivera (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.), Ben Petersen (Manchester, Conn.), and Tommy Merrick (Brockton, Mass.) all made relief appearances in the game.