Baseball Sweeps Series with Gordon Sunday

HAVERHILL, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene College baseball team earned a pair of victories over Gordon Sunday afternoon at Trinity Stadium, prevailing 5-3 and 16-10.

The Lions improve to 8-7 on the season with the two wins while the Fighting Scots fall to 4-10 overall.

Frank Landeiro (Orlando, Fla.) finished with five hits, four RBIs, and four runs scored on the day. Steven Pesce (Harrison, N.Y.) posted four base knocks, four runs scored, and one RBI. Shane McNamara (Londonderry, N.H.) notched three hits, four RBIs, and three runs scored. Hernhy Lara (Boston, Mass.) chipped in with three hits, three RBIs, and a pair of runs scored.

In game one, Eastern Nazarene rallied to collect a 5-3 victory.

Gordon produced three runs in the top of the first inning to establish a 3-0 lead. Patrick Tevenan doubled down the right field line to score Shane Demers from first base. Tevenan and Jonathan McIntyre crossed the dish on back-to-back wild pitches.

Eastern Nazarene responded with three runs in the home half of the second to level the contest at 3-3. Landeiro laced a double down the right field line to drive in Jaime Roldan (Boston, Mass.) before Cam Barry (Manchester, Conn.) singled to left field to knock in Landeiro. Brandon Guerrero (Boston, Mass.) followed with an RBI base knock to center field to plate Barry from second.

The Lions plated one run in the fifth to claim a 4-3 edge. McNamara roped a two-out single to right field to drive in Pesce for the go-ahead score.

Eastern Nazarene tacked on a run in the sixth to widen the gap to 5-3. Landeiro laced a single to right field to knock in Kelvin Cortez (Corona, N.Y.).

Spencer Boynton (Tampa, Fla.) pitched his first collegiate complete game and fanned eight in his fourth start on the hill.

In the nightcap, the Lions surged past the Fighting Scots 16-10 to earn the sweep.

Eastern Nazarene chalked up two runs in the top of the first to seize a 2-0 edge. McNamara raked a single to right field to drive in Pesce before motoring home on a double off the bat of Lara.

Gordon answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame to snag a 3-2 lead. Tevenan singled to plate McIntyre and scored on a base hit by Andrew Hartman. Robert Dunkle crossed the dish as Gabe Coyne-Martinez reached on a fielder's choice.

The Lions pulled even at 3-3 in the second inning as Pesce scorched an inside-the-park home run.

The Fighting Scots manufactured four runs in the home half of the second to lead 7-3. Coyne-Martinez led off the frame with a solo home run. McIntyre tagged up and scored from third base on a sacrifice fly by Tevenan. Shane Demers scurried home as Dunkle reached on an error and Dunkle crossed the dish on an RBI groundout by Hartman.

Eastern Nazarene exploded four seven runs in the top of the third to widen the gap to 10-7. Ethaniel Almendarez (Lynn, Mass.) smacked a triple to left center to drive in Barry and Landeiro. McNamara absorbed a hit-by-pitch with the bases full to knock in Cortez. Lara followed with a single to plate Pesce before Anderson Jimenez (Lowell, Mass.) scampered home on a wild pitch. Landeiro lasered a single to left field to score Lara and McNamara.

Gordon tallied one run in the third to cut the deficit to 10-8. Tevenan picked up his third RBI of the game with a single to drive in Dalton Cody.

The Lions generated five runs in the fifth to stretch their advantage to 15-8. McNamara raked a double down the right field line to plate Jimenez and Lara poked a double to right to score McNamara. Hunter Leroux-Porter (Greenland, N.H.) angled a double down the left field line to knock in Lara from second base. Tyler Bean (Wellington, Fla.) followed with a pinch-hit base knock to drive in Leroux-Porter and Landeiro.

Eastern Nazarene added a run in the top of the eighth inning to extend its lead to 16-8. Landeiro scurried home from third as Bean swiped second base.

The Fighting Scots scored twice in the bottom of the eighth to narrow the margin to 16-10. Dunkle belted a two-run homer to left field to plate Alex Carl.

Jon Tessier (Coronado, Calif.) tossed six innings in his second start of the spring and registered three strikeouts. Cortez worked three innings in his fourth relief outing and racked up five strikeouts to record his first career save.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene will host Keene State March 23.