Baseball Splits Season-Opening Doubleheader Against Geneva

FORT PIERCE, Fla.- The Eastern Nazarene College baseball team posted a 10-1 win over Geneva before dropping game two 4-2 Tuesday afternoon in the first twinbill of the spring.

The Lions progress to 1-1 on the season while the Golden Tornadoes move to 1-3 overall.

Zachary Carmody (Babylon, N.Y.) paced the club with four hits, three RBIs, and scored one run. Dylan Louviaux (Monton, Pa.) registered three base knocks, one RBI, and one run scored in his first collegiate games. Connor Simpson (Haverhill, Mass.) finished with three hits, three runs scored, and a pair of stolen bases. Andrew Santora (Middle Village, N.Y.) notched landed two hits, scored twice, and drove in one RBI. Steven Pesce (Harrison, N.Y.) collected two base knocks and two RBIs in his first college contests.

In the first game of the day, Eastern Nazarene racked up 12 hits en route to a 10-1 victory for head coach Kameron Konert's first career win.

Eastern Nazarene got on the board in the bottom of the first inning to grab a 1-0 edge. Devin Haberstumpf (Forest Hills, N.Y.) roped a two-out double to left to drive in Carmody from first base.

Geneva responded with a run in the second to level the score at 1-1. Vinny Howells motored home on a bunt single off the bat of Tyler Pagaduan.

The Lions established a 6-1 lead with a five-run frame in the home half of the second. Josue Basilis (Bronx, N.Y.) singled to center to knock in Simpson before crossing the dish on a wild pitch. Pesce landed an RBI single in right to score Nick Story (Gilbert, Ariz.) from third. Carmody followed with a two-run base hit to left to drive in Louviaux and Santora.

Eastern Nazarene plated three runs to widen the gap to 9-1. Story and Louviaux both collected RBI base knocks in the inning and Pesce drew a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded.

The Lions tacked on a run in the fourth to reach double digits, 10-1. Simpson tagged up and scampered home as Story hoisted a sacrifice fly to centerfield.

Brent Houle (Westfield, Mass.) tossed 4.2 innings and struck out two batters in his 16th career start. Xavier Faria (Assonet, Mass.) hurled 1.1 innings of relief and fanned one before Ryan Spina (Selden, N.Y.) worked the final frame in his ninth career appearance out of the bullpen.

In game two, the Golden Tornadoes rallied to earn their first win of the season.

Eastern Nazarene tallied a pair of runs in the top of the third to claim a 2-0 lead. James Coury (Milford, Conn.) rounded third and scored on a single to right by Santora before Carmody raked a triple to center to drive in Santora all the way from first base.

Geneva captured a one-run advantage with three runs in the bottom of the third. Jericho Hilling singled to plate Pagaduan and Jacob Poremski landed a two-run double in center to score Joey Luciana and Hilling.

The Golden Tornadoes doubled its lead to two runs, 4-2, in the fifth. Luciana dashed home from third as Beighley grounded out.

Ragan Cole (Alamogordo, N.M.) started game two and pitched six innings while recording four strikeouts.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene returns to the diamond March 8 for a nine-inning contest against Hilbert.