Baseball’s Bats Come Alive in 7-3 Win Over Nyack

Lee launched his first homerun of the season

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (March 9, 2017) - The Stonehill College baseball team scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to pick up a 7-3 victory over Nyack College on Paul Demie Mainieri Field on Thursday afternoon.
For Stonehill (4-8), Matthew Rocco (Newington, Connecticut/Newington) batted 4-for-8 with one run scored and one RBI, while seven other Skyhawks went 1-for-4 including Steve Lee (Braintree, Massachusetts/Braintree) who launched a three-run homerun in the bottom of the eighth to give the Skyhawks an edge. Nathaniel Perkins (Whitman, Massachusetts/Whitman-Hanson) recorded his first collegiate win on the mound giving up only one hit in 2.1 innings. Brandon Jewer (Billerica, Massachusetts/Billerica Memorial) gave up two hits, three runs and struck out six, while Aubrey Solomon (Groton, Massachusetts/Lawrence Academy) came in for the top of the ninth allowing no hits and striking one batter.

Nyack College (4-4) saw Luke Kelly bat 2-for-3 with a run scored and a sacrifice bunt, while Ryan Kahl and Carlos Pino tallied the RBI for the Warriors.

The Warriors jumped on the Skyhawks in the top of the first as two runs came across home off of one hit and an error.  Yoni Rodriguez led with a walk, followed by Kelly who reached on a sacrifice bunt to create a first and third situation for Nyack. Rodriguez scored on a wild pitch with no outs, as Carlos Pina sent a long ball that was caught in center field but was enough to score Kelly from third for a 2-0 lead.

Stonehill tallied one hit in the bottom of the third as Rocco got on as he bunted, but it was short lived as Tyler Carey (Raynham, Massachusetts/Bridgewater-Raynham) grounded into a double play.

Stonehill took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the fifth off of four hits. With two outs, Carey tripled scoring Rocco from first base and crossing home himself off a throwing error by second base. Ben Monte (New Haven, Connecticut/Guilford) singled and advanced on another error by the Warriors. Eddie Bowler (Hingham, Massachusetts/Hingham) rocketed a double and tallied his first RBI of the day scoring Monte from second for a 3-2 advantage.

Nyack tied the game, 3-3, in the top of the sixth with a ground out to shortstop that scored Rodriguez with only one out.

Stonehill's offense connected once again in the bottom of the eighth as they strung together five hits for four runs. Harrison Sabo (Wilton, Connecticut/Wilton) doubled down the right field line with one out advancing Justin Nicklas (Foxboro, Massachusetts/St. Sebastian's) to third. Lee came up to bat and launched a three-run homerun, for his first of the season and sixth of his career. With a 6-3 lead and two outs, Rocco tallied his third single of the day, advancing John Orzechowski (Monroe, Connecticut/Masuk) from third for another insurance run.

Solomon came in the top of the ninth to close the game and recorded three straight outs with no hits allowed and one strike out, giving the Skyhawks a 7-3 victory.

The Skyhawks face Northeast-10 Conference foe Adelphi University tomorrow, March 9 at 1:00 p.m. on Paul Demie Mainieri Field on the campus of St. Thomas University.
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