Baseball Sweeps Two-Game Set Against Hilbert

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.- The Eastern Nazarene College baseball team posted a pair of wins against Hilbert Friday at the Ripken Experience, rallying for a 6-5 victory before prevailing 7-2.

The Lions lead to 7-3 on the season with the two wins while the Hawks flutter to 4-6 overall.

Jaime Roldan (Boston, Mass.) landed a team-best five hits to go with two runs scored and one RBI. Steven Pesce (Harrison, N.Y.) notched four base hits, two runs scored, and an RBI. Hunter Leroux-Porter (Greenland, N.H.) racked up three hits, three RBIs, and a pair of runs scored. Joshua Bombard (Rutland, Mass.) finished with two base knocks, three RBIs, and two runs. Dylan Louviaux (Mohnton, Pa.) contributed with two hits, two RBIs, two runs scored, and one stolen base.

In game one of the twinbill, Eastern Nazarene earned a 6-5 walk-off win over Hilbert.

The Hawks plated a pair of runs in the top of the first inning to claim a 2-0 lead. Angelo DiNizo singled to drive in Austin O'Shei before crossing the dish on an RBI groundout by Jonathan Wilson.

The Lions got on the board in the home half of the fourth to cut the deficit to 2-1. Roldan led off the frame with his first collegiate home run.

Hilbert produced three runs in the seventh to widen the gap to 5-1. Zach Scharett scurried home from third base as Noah Welch reached on a fielder's choice. After Jared Welnowski scored on a wild pitch, DiNizo picked up his second RBI of the contest with a base knock to plate Welch.

Eastern Nazarene rallied to score four runs in the bottom of the seventh to collect the come-from-behind victory. With the bases full and no outs, Bombard raked a bases-clearing double to drive in Bobby Fulkerson (Anaheim, Calif.), Louviaux, and Pesce. Leroux-Porter followed with a game-tying RBI double to score Bombard. Andres Medina (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) delivered the walk-off hit with a pinch-hit, two-out single to plate Leroux-Porter.

Brenndan Rogers (Hanson, Mass.) pitched six innings and registered seven strikeouts in his third start of the spring. Jon Tessier (Coronado, Calif.) threw one inning of relief and fanned one batter to earn his second win in his fifth appearance out of the bullpen.

In the series finale, the Lions clipped the Hawks 7-2 to extend their winning-streak to three-straight games.

Eastern Nazarene sprung for three runs in the top of the first inning to establish a 3-0 advantage. Louviaux smashed a lead-off solo homer, his second career home run. Leroux-Porter laced a double to drive in Pesce and Bombard.

The Lions tacked on a run in the second to extend their lead to 4-0. Pesce smacked a two-out double to knock in Brandon Guerrero (Boston, Mass.) from second base.

Hilbert scored once in the bottom of the third inning to trim the deficit to 4-1 as O'Shei belted a solo home run.

Eastern Nazarene added a run in the fourth to reclaim a four-run edge, 5-1. Guerrero scored his second run of the contest, crossing the dish as Bombard reached on an error.

The Lions generated a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to push their advantage to 7-1. Medina recorded his second RBI of the day with a single to plate Leroux-Porter. Roldan tagged up and motored home from third on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Louviaux.

The Hawks plated one run in the home half of the frame to close the gap to 7-2. Welch landed a two-out single to drive in Nate Sanderson.

Daniel Rivera (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) hurled his second complete game of the season and finished with five strikeouts in his third start.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene will face Johnson & Wales (R.I.) March 7 to cap off its trip to the Palmetto State.