Baseball Settles for Doubleheader Split with Wentworth

QUINCY, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene College baseball team halved a league twinbill against Wentworth Monday afternoon at Adams Field. The Lions prevailed 4-3 in the series opener before dropping a 5-3 decision in game two.

The Lions progress to 11-17-2 on the spring and 2-10 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference with the outcomes. The Leopards move to 14-12 overall and 4-8 in conference competition with the results.

Zachary Carmody (Babylon, N.Y.) paced the club with three base knocks, three RBIs, and one run scored. Connor Simpson (Haverhill, Mass.) notched three hits and a pair of runs scored on the day. Joshua Bombard (Rutland, Mass.) added two base hits while John Greenlee (San Marcos, Calif.) finished with one base knock, one RBI, and one run scored.

In game one, Eastern Nazarene edged Wentworth 4-3 for a key conference win.

The home side jumped ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning. Matthew Urena (Flushing, N.Y.) scorched a single to right field to drive in Zach Zaino (Falmouth, Mass.) from second base.

Eastern Nazarene stretched its advantage to 3-0 with a pair of runs in the fourth. Carmody poked a two-run double to right to plate Devin Haberstumpf (Forest Hills, N.Y.) and Steven Pesce (Harrison, N.Y.).

Wentworth got on the board in the top of the fifth, trimming the deficit to 3-1. Tim Elrick crossed the dish on a single to left field by Jake Smith.

The Lions reclaimed a three-run lead with a score in the sixth inning, 4-1. Simpson tagged up from third base and scored his team-leading 25th run of the season on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Greenlee.

The Leopards tallied twice in the top of the seventh but came up just short, 4-3. Tyler Weninger knocked in Christian Ferri and Matt Smith as he cracked a double to right field.

The hosts preserved the victory with timely defense in the seventh inning to seal the win. Urena fielded a pair of groundballs in the frame while Pesce scooped a grounder at second and Zaino applied the tag at the plate to keep the lead intact.

Cameron Fiorentino (Uxbridge, Mass.) threw six innings and recorded six strikeouts in his team-leading sixth start of the season. Ryan Spina (Selden, N.Y.) worked one inning of relief in his sixth appearance of the spring and picked up his first save.

In the second contest of the day, the Lions absorbed a 5-3 loss after Wentworth orchestrated a late-inning comeback.

Eastern Nazarene grabbed a 1-0 edge with a run in the second inning. Greenlee motored home from second as Carmody laced an RBI single back up the middle.

Wentworth pulled even at 1-1 in the top of the third. Matt Smith scored on a two-out single to left field by Ferri.

The Lions regained a one-run lead in the home half of the frame as Simpson was awarded home on a balk.

The Leopards answered with another equalizer in the fourth inning to level the game at 2-2. Jordan Burst scurried home from third on an infield hit by Tim Elrick.

Eastern Nazarene pushed across a run in the bottom of the fourth to seize a 3-2 lead. Carmody scored all the way from first base as Nick Story (Gilbert, Ariz.) shot a double down the left field line.

The visitors rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh to capture a 5-3 lead. After Dan Mitchell scored on a single up the middle by Matt Smith, Burst doubled down the left field line to plate Ferri and Matt Smith.

Alex Way (Syracuse, N.Y.) hurled 6.2 innings in his sixth start of the year and fanned one batter. Haberstumpf tossed one-third of an inning in his fourth relief outing of the season.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene steps out of conference to take on nationally-ranked Tufts April 25.