Baseball Coasts Past Keene State, 16-4

WEYMOUTH, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene College baseball team rolled a to 16-4 victory over Keene State Wednesday evening at Libby Field.

The Lions improve to 9-7 on the year with the win while the Owls fall to 1-10 overall.

Luis Pina (Lynn, Mass.) and Steven Pesce (Harrison, N.Y.) each notched three hits, five RBIs, and one run scored. Shane McNamara (Londonderry, N.H.) finished with three base knocks, one RBI, and one run scored. Jaime Roldan (Boston, Mass.) posted two hits and three runs scored while Hernhy Lara (Boston, Mass.) registered two hits, one RBI, and a pair of runs scored.

The home side chalked up four runs in the bottom of the first inning to grab an early 4-0 lead. McNamara roped a triple to centerfield to drive in Tyler Bean (Wellington, Fla.) from second base. Lara followed with a base knock up the middle to score McNamara. Pina laced a two-out double down the left field line to plate Frank Landeiro (Orlando, Fla.) and Lara.

Eastern Nazarene generated five runs in the third to widen the gap to 9-0. Landeiro singled up the middle to knock in Lara. With the bases load and two outs, Pesce raked a triple to centerfield to score Cam Barry (Manchester, Conn.), Roldan, and Landeiro. Pesce crossed the dish on a wild pitch later in the frame.

The Lions added three runs in the home half of the fourth inning to extend their advantage to 12-0. Pina drew a bases-loaded walk to plate Roldan before Landeiro scurried home on a wild pitch. Pesce slapped a single to left field to drive in Barry from third base.

The hosts tacked on three runs in the fifth to stretch their lead to 15-0. Pina lasered a triple to centerfield to plate Landeiro and Roldan before scoring on a two-out base hit by Pesce.

Keene State got on the board in the seventh, scoring twice to cut the deficit to 15-2. Liam Conley belted a two-run homer to drive in Malik Pearson.

Eastern Nazarene tallied one run in the eighth to claim a 16-2 advantage. Elvin Smith (Boston, Mass.) roped a two-out single to score Andres Pinto (Boston, Mass.) from third base.

The Owls manufactured two runs in the top of the ninth inning to trim the margin to 16-4.

Morgan Weast (Cincinnati, Ohio) threw six innings in his fifth start of the year and finished with six strikeouts. Dale Beneway (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) hurled two innings and fanned four batters in his fifth relief outing of the season. Eduardo Labour (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) tossed one inning and recorded two strikeouts in his fourth appearance out of the bullpen.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene will host Lesley March 26 in the first NECC series of the spring.