Baseball Opens Season with 8-4 Loss to Manchester

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.- The Eastern Nazarene College baseball team dropped an 8-4 decision to Manchester Sunday in the first game of the 2024 campaign.

THE BASICS:
Score: Eastern Nazarene 4, Manchester 8
Records: Lions (0-1) | Spartans (2-3)

                               
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Eastern Nazarene tallied a run in the bottom of the first inning to snag a 1-0 edge. Anderson Jimenez (Lowell, Mass.) laced a two-out single to drive in Francis Ferguson (Jefferson, Mass.).
• The Lions tacked on a run in the second to double their advantage to 2-0. Rookie Michael Monteforte (Wilmington, Mass.) landed his first collegiate hit to knock in Anthony Ventura (La Romana, Dominican Republic).
• Manchester responded with two runs in the top of the third to level the game at 2-2.
• Eastern Nazarene plated a run in the sixth to reclaim the lead, 3-2. Anderson Jimenez (Lowell, Mass.) scampered home from third base as Michael Monteforte (Wilmington, Mass.) notched his second RBI of the contest.
• The Spartans erupted for four runs in the seventh inning to capture a 6-3 advantage.
• The Lions answered with a run in the home half of the frame to narrow the gap to 6-4 as Frank Landeiro (Orlando, Fla.) raked a single to score Elvis Rojas (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic).
• Manchester produced a pair of runs in the eighth to push its lead to 8-4.
  

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:        

• Anderson Jimenez (Lowell, Mass.) posted three hits, one RBI, and one run scored.
• Elvis Rojas (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) chalked up three base hits and one run scored.
• Francis Ferguson (Jefferson, Mass.) collected a pair of hits and scored one run.
• Michael Monteforte (Wilmington, Mass.) finished with two RBIs and one hit in his collegiate debut.
• On the mound, Francis Ferguson (Jefferson, Mass.) hurled six innings in his first start of the spring. He recorded six strikeouts while scattering one earned run and one walk. Liam Bruskiewicz (Granite Springs, N.Y.) tossed three innings of relief and registered two strikeouts.

LOOKING AHEAD:
Eastern Nazarene battles Penn College in a non-league doubleheader March 4.