Pesce Sets Career Hits Mark as Baseball Topped by Bridgewater State

WEYMOUTH, Mass.- Graduate student Steven Pesce (Harrison, N.Y.) collected his program-record 179th career hit as the Eastern Nazarene College baseball team endured an 8-4 loss to Bridgewater State Thursday afternoon at Libby Field.

The Lions progress to 6-7 on the season with the setback while the Bears improve to 6-3 overall.

Cam Barry (Manchester, Conn.) posted one hit, one RBI, and one run scored on the day. Pesce finished with one base knock and a pair of RBIs while Tyler Bean (Wellington, Fla.) notched one hit and two runs scored.          

Pesce laced a leadoff single in the bottom of the first inning to become the Lions' all-time leader in career hits with his 179th career knock, passing ENC Hall of Famer A.J. Turner's record of 178 hits.

The visitors manufactured four runs in the top of the third to establish a 4-0 advantage. Mathew Pigeon crossed the dish on a bunt single by Kevin Lindsay. Jay Wladkowski rolled a single up the middle to drive in Lindsay from third base. Dan Saraceno followed with a two-run home run to right field.

The home side got on the board in the bottom of the frame to cut the deficit to 4-1. Bean motored home from third on an RBI groundout by Pesce.

Bridgewater State scored twice in the fourth to extend its lead to 6-1. Pigeon roped a triple to right field to plate Joe Frechette before scoring on a base knock by Sean Goudey.

The Bears added a run in the fifth to widen the margin to 7-1 as Wladkowski crossed the dish on a wild pitch.

Eastern Nazarene generated three runs in the home half of the fifth inning to pull to within three, 7-4. Barry belted a solo shot to left field to pick up his first collegiate homer. Bean scurried home on a wild pitch and Guerrero scored on an RBI groundout by Pesce.

The guests tacked on a run in the seventh to stretch their advantage to 8-4 as Saraceno scored his second run of the afternoon.

Morgan Weast (Cincinnati, Ohio) pitched six innings and fanned five in his fourth start of the year. Kelvin Cortez (Corona, N.Y.) tossed three innings in his third relief appearance of the spring and finished with two strikeouts.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene is slated to face Gordon March 19.