Giusti Fires Complete Game Three-Hit Shutout As Baseball Clinches Second Place In Northeast-10 Standings With 5-0 Opening Game Triumph Over UMass Lowell
May 6, 2006
STONEHILL BASEBALL
Saturday, May 6, 2006
Gorman Field, Lowell, Mass.
GAME #1 FINAL: STONEHILL 5, UMASS LOWELL 0
123 456 789 R H E
UMass Lowell (31-12, 18-10 Northeast-10) 000 000 000 - 0 3 1
Stonehill (28-14, 22-6 Northeast-10) 000 030 02x - 5 13 0
BATTERIES
UML: Jim Shaughnessy, Ron Nelson (7) and Bob Theriault
STO: Matt Giusti and Matt Vaughn
WP: Giusti (2-2) LP: Shaughnessy (5-1)
GAME #2 FINAL: UMASS LOWELL 3, STONEHILL 2
123 456 789 R H E
UMass Lowell (32-12, 19-10 Northeast-10) 002 000 100 - 3 14 1
Stonehill (28-15, 22-7 Northeast-10) 200 000 000 - 2 5 1
BATTERIES
UML: Pete Nickerson, Pat Donovan (8) and Graeme Clohosey, Bob Theriault (5)
STO: Joe Breen, Chris Herrmann (7) and Matt Vaughn
WP: Nickerson (7-1) LP: Breen (6-2) Save: Donovan (11)
EASTON, Mass.-- Freshman Matt Giusti (Hopkinton, Mass.) fired a complete-game three-hitter and struck out five for his first collegiate shutout as Stonehill clinched second place and a bye into the double elimination portion of next weekend's Northeast-10 Conference baseball championships with a 5-0 opening game victory over UMass Lowell Saturday afternoon at Gorman Field. The River Hawks gained a split of the twinbill with a 3-2 nightcap triumph.
Giusti faced just five batters over the minimum to even his record at 2-2 on the season for the host Skyhawks (28-15, 22-7 Northeast-10), who recorded their highest conference regular season finish in six years in earning the first round bye. Stonehill gave Giusti all of the runs he would need in the fifth on consecutive two out doubles off the bats of junior Matt Vaughn (Bow, N.H.) and seniors Sean Lawrence (New Rochelle, N.Y.) and Coley Lyons (West Roxbury, Mass.), and the Skyhawks added a pair of insurance tallies in the eighth on an RBI single by senior T.J. Piscatelli (Norfolk, Mass.) and a bases-loaded walk to junior Tom Aldrich (New Canaan, Conn.).
Lyons had three hits, including a pair of doubles, to lead a 13-hit attack in the opener for Stonehill, which also received two hits each from Lawrence (including his 20th double of the season) and junior Adam Pardo (Hanover, Mass.). Senior Jim Shaughnessy (Lowell, Mass.) suffered his first setback in six decisions in the opener for the visiting River Hawks (32-12, 19-10 Northeast-10), as he allowed 10 hits and three runs over 6 2/3 innings while striking out a pair.
Stonehill grabbed a 2-0 first inning lead in the nightcap on a two-out, two-run single off the bat of junior Max Vigliotti (Stamford, Conn.), but UMass Lowell evened matters in the third on an RBI triple by sophomore Tim Manton (Swansea, Mass.) and a run-scoring single by junior Patrick Wilson (Dracut, Mass.). The score remained tied until the seventh when senior Tim Dempsey (Lexington, Mass.) delivered the game-winning RBI single for the River Hawks, as the Skyhawks had the tying run on second in the ninth but could not score.
Senior Bob Theriault (Lowell, Mass.) rapped out three hits as part of a 14-hit effort in the nightcap for UMass Lowell, which also received two hits each from Manton, Wilson, junior Sean Patno (Chelmsford, Mass.) and freshman Brendan Fullerton (Beverly, Mass.). Junior Pete Nickerson (Dracut, Mass.) scattered four hits and allowed two runs over seven innings while striking out four to improve to 7-1 on the mound for the River Hawks, while junior Pat Donovan (Lowell, Mass.) pitched the final two innings to earn his 11th save of the season. Lyons and Pardo each picked up two hits in the nightcap setback for Stonehill, as senior Joe Breen (Swampscott, Mass.) allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings of work to fall to 6-2 on the mound for the Skyhawks.
Stonehill and UMass Lowell close out their key three-game Northeast-10 set on Sunday afternoon at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Mass. While the Skyhawks clinched second place and a tournament bye, the River Hawks can finish either third or fourth in the final league standings, as they currently sit in fourth place a game behind Southern Connecticut in the loss column.