Baseball Sweeps Lesley in NECC Opening Twinbill

TAUNTON, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene College baseball team notched a pair of wins over Lesley Saturday afternoon in the first New England Collegiate Conference doubleheader of the spring.

The Lions prevailed 2-1 and 14-6 to improve to 11-7 overall and 2-0 in league play. The Lynx slip to 7-10 on the year and 0-2 in conference action with the results.

Steven Pesce (Harrison, N.Y.) notched four hit, three runs scored, two RBIs, and one stolen base. Frank Landeiro (Orlando, Fla.) and Shane McNamara (Londonderry, N.H.) both finished with five RBIs, three base knocks, two runs scored, and one stolen base.

In game one, Eastern Nazarene edged Lesley 2-1.

The home team produced two runs in the bottom of the first inning to grab a 2-0 lead. Jaime Roldan (Boston, Mass.) laced a single to drive in McNamara from second base. Landeiro stung an infield hit to plate Hernhy Lara (Boston, Mass.).

The visitors got on the board in the third, scoring one run to cut the deficit to 2-1. Andrew Gryniewicz flared a single down the right field line to knock in Justin Dennett.

Spencer Boynton (Tampa, Fla.) tossed a complete-game in his fifth start on the mound and registered 10 strikeouts.

In the nightcap, the Lions overpowered the Lynx to earn a 14-6 win.

Eastern Nazarene exploded for nine runs in the home half of the first inning to establish a 9-0 advantage. McNamara launched his third home run of the year, a three-run blast to score Tyler Bean (Wellington, Fla.) and Pesce. Landeiro raked a double down the left field line to drive in Roldan and Lara. Landeiro motored home as Brandon Guerrero (Boston, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice. Pesce roped a single to knock in Ethaniel Almendarez (Lynn, Mass.) before Bean singled to score Guerrero. Pesce scampered home from third base on a wild pitch.

Lesley responded with three runs in the second to narrow the margin to 9-3. Ian Dempsey, Adam Budorick, and Dennett all landed RBI singles in the frame.

The Lynx plated a pair of runs in the third to trim the deficit to 9-5. Ian Spillane doubled to center to drive in Ronnie James and Colby Jacobs followed with a base knock to score Spillane.

The Lions manufactured two runs in the bottom of the third frame to reclaim a six-run lead, 11-5. McNamara scorched a two-out single to plate Pesce and Almendarez.

Lesley tallied one run in the fourth to pull to within five, 11-6.

The hosts chalked up three runs in the fourth inning to widen the gap to 14-6. Landeiro clobbered his first collegiate home run to score George Calderon Jr. (New York, N.Y.). Pesce poked a two-out base hit to knock in Guerrero.

Briley Seiter (Bellevue, Ky.) threw 3.2 innings and fanned one batter in his fifth start of the season. Jon Tessier (Coronado, Calif.) worked 1.1 scoreless innings and recorded one strikeout in his seventh relief appearance.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene will head to WPI March 27 for a non-conference doubleheader.