Baseball Knocks Off Rivier in Non-Conference Clash, 7-2

QUINCY, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene College baseball team captured a 7-2 victory over Rivier Tuesday night under the lights at Adams Field, avenging an earlier-season loss to the Raiders.

The Lions improve to 8-16 on the season with the win. The Raiders fall to 9-16 overall with the result.

Rookie Eric Shea (Rossmoor, Calif.) led the way with three RBIs, two base knocks and one run scored. Cameron Fiorentino (Uxbridge, Mass.) finished with two hits and one run scored. Jeremy Wagner (Oklahoma City, Okla.) crossed the plate twice and collected one hit.

Rivier got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring one run to grab a 1-0 edge. Jeremy Ball rounded third and scored from second base on a single up the middle by Drew Neely.

Eastern Nazarene manufactured four runs in the top of the sixth to gain a 4-1 lead. Luis Gonzalez (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico) sauntered home as Pat Yee (Lynnfield, Mass.) drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game before Fiorentino crossed the plate on a double play. Shea landed an RBI single to drive in Jeremy Wagner and Jake Koch (Dayton, Nev.) followed with a double down the left field line to plate Shea from second base.

The Lions tacked on two runs in the eighth to extend their advantage to 6-1. Shea laced a single to centerfield to score Kurt Picarelli (Montrose, N.Y.) and Yee.

The Raiders narrowed the margin to 6-2 in the home half of the frame as David Cusack slapped a double down the left field line to drive in J.J. Montello from first.

Eastern Nazarene added a score in the ninth to reclaim a five-run lead, 7-2. Jeremy Wagner crossed the plate as Yee reached on an error.

Fiorentino hurled six innings in his fourth start of the season and struck out three batters while surrendering just four hits. Doug English (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) tossed 1.2 innings in his fourth relief outing of the spring and registered one strikeout. Frank Fusco (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) pitched two-thirds of an inning and fanned one batter. Joe Cardaropoli (Agawam, Mass.) closed out the game as he recorded the final two outs of the ninth.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene will take to the diamond for the third day in a row as it hosts Newbury in a non-conference doubleheader April 15 at Adams Field.