Baseball Splits Sunday Series against Cairn
FORT PIERCE, Fla.- The Eastern Nazarene College baseball team salvaged a doubleheader-split against Carin with a 4-3 win after falling 5-4 in an extra-inning opener Sunday.
The Lions progress to 8-2 on the season with the one-run decisions while the Highlanders move to 6-3 overall.
Steven Pesce (Harrison, N.Y.) notched a team-high five hits on the day while adding a pair of runs and two RBIs. Connor Simpson (Haverhill, Mass.) collected four base knocks, one run scored, and one RBI. Joshua Bombard (Rutland, Mass.) finished with three hits, three runs, and an RBI. Devin Haberstumpf (Forest Hills, N.Y.) chipped in with three RBIs, two hits, and one run. Zachary Carmody (Babylon, N.Y.) registered three hits, one RBI, and crossed the dish one in the twinbill.
In game one of the doubleheader, Eastern Nazarene endured a 5-4 setback to Cairn in extra innings despite a 15-5 margin in hits.
The Lions got on the board in the bottom of the first, scoring once to snag a 1-0 edge. Pesce poked a single to right field to drive in Simpson from second base.
The Highlanders leveled the contest at 1-1 with a run in the top of the second inning. Alejandro Fernandez doubled to center to plate Brett Marks.
Cairn produced three runs in the third to claim a 4-1 lead as Emilio Alvarez belted a three-run home run over the left field fence.
Eastern Nazarene cut the deficit to 4-2 with a tally in the fourth. With the bases full, Simpson picked up his sixth RBI of the year as he absorbed a hit-by-pitch to score Bombard from third.
The Lions pushed across two runs in the fifth to knot the score at 4-4. Haberstumpf doubled to drive in Carmody from first base before scurrying home on a base knock by Bombard.
The Highlanders seized a one-run advantage in the top of the eighth, 5-4. Fernandez crossed the dish for the go-ahead run as Andrew Philips reached on a fielder's choice.
Ben Petersen (Manchester, Conn.) tossed 2.1 innings in his second start of the season and posted a pair of strikeouts. Xavier Faria (Assonet, Mass.) worked 2.2 innings and fanned two batters in his sixth relief appearance of the spring. Haberstumpf threw three innings of relief and struck out three in his sixth outing of the year.
In game two, Eastern Nazarene edged Cairn 4-3 to split the doubleheader.
The Lions chalked up one run in the top of the first inning to capture an early 1-0 lead. Pesce roped a double to centerfield to drive in Bombard from third base.
Eastern Nazarene tacked on two runs in the fourth to widen the gap to 3-0. Carmody singled to the gap in right-center to score Bombard and Pesce crossed the dish as Haberstumpf recorded his 11th RBI of the season.
The Highlanders trimmed the margin to 3-2 with a pair of runs in the home half of the frame. Jacob Allen scored ass Nathan Wilson reached on a fielder's choice. Alvarez doubled down the right field line to drive in Wilson from second base.
The Lions plated one run in the sixth to take a 4-2 advantage. Haberstumpf smacked a double to right-centerfield to knock in Pesce, collecting his second RBI of the game and team-leading 12th of the spring.
Cairn pulled to within one, 4-3, as Daniel Morales scampered home on a wild pitch with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Brenndan Rogers (Hanson, Mass.) hurled 6.2 innings and fanned six in his third appearance and second start of the season. Haberstumpf earned his fourth save of the spring as he struck out the only batter he faced.
Looking ahead, Eastern Nazarene with finish its spring break trip with a nine-inning tilt against Albright March 12.