Baseball Falls 9-2 at Mitchell, Ties Nightcap 4-4

NEW LONDON, Conn.- The Eastern Nazarene baseball team suffered a 9-2 setback before game two was called due to darkness in the top of the seventh with the two teams deadlocked at 4-4. The Lions move to 12-23-1 on the year while the Mariners progress to 18-11-1 overall.

Pat Yee (Lynnfield, Mass.) led the visitors with a 3-for-5 day at the dish with a double and two RBIs. Justin Wagner (Oklahoma City, Okla.) also recorded three base knocks in the doubleheader. David Manning (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) picked up a pair of hits and drove in two RBIs while Jeremy Wagner (Oklahoma City, Okla.) added two hits and crossed the plate twice.

In game one, Mitchell jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Marc Dorsi and Kenneth Olszewski picked up RBIs for the home team in the frame.

Eastern Nazarene cut the deficit in half with a run in the third to pull the score to 2-1. Jeremy Wagner led off the inning with a double to the gap in right-center. Yee followed with a bunt single and Jeremy Wagner rounded third and scored.

The Lions leveled the contest at 2-2 in the fourth inning as Yee raked a double to left-center to plate Kurt Picarelli (Montrose, N.Y.) from second.

The Mariners responded with a pair of scores in the home half of the fourth to restore their lead to two, 4-2. Drew Doyle laced a two-run double down the line in right to drive in Evan Peck and Olszewski.

The hosts tacked on five runs in the sixth to expand the margin to 9-2. Neftali Arroyo landed an RBI single in center before Doyle stole third and touched the plate. Nova Crespo followed with a single through the right side to score Arroyo. Eddie Lorah lifted a sacrifice fly to left to allow Gavin LaLima to tag up and score. Rafael Garcia poked an RBI single to left field to plate Jeff Dowling.

Brad Hampton (South Daytona, Fla.) pitched 5.2 innings and struck out four batters. Max Pugh (San Diego, Calif.) tossed the final two-thirds of the sixth and allowed just one hit and no runs.

In the second game of the day, Mitchell tallied three runs in the first to go ahead 3-0. Olszewski drove in two RBIs with a single to right center.

Eastern Nazarene picked up a pair of runs in the third to pull to within a run, 3-2. Jeremy Wagner and Justin Wagner both crossed the plate in the inning for the visitors with two outs.

The Mariners notched a run in the fourth to widen the gap to 4-2. LaLima rolled a groundout to the first baseman to allow Arroyo to motor home from third base.

The Lions knotted the score at 4-4 in the sixth with two runs. After Anthony Berroa (Teaneck, N.J.) walked and stole second, Manning launched a two-run home run to right-center for his first of the season.

The game was halted in the top of the seventh inning with Eastern Nazarene threatening with runners on the corners.

Brandon Wells (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) hurled a complete game and recorded three strikeouts.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene will close out the 2013 campaign on the road at Rivier April 25.