Junior Chris Hoyt went 4-for-8 with a walk and three steals in Stonehill's doubleheader against St. Thomas Aquinas today. |
Skyhawks fall to Spartans 11-7 in opener before rallying for 3-3 tie in game two
WINTER PARK, Fla. (March 11, 2015) – The Stonehill College baseball team returned to action today with a non-conference doubleheader against St. Thomas Aquinas College at Alfond Stadium in Winter Park, Florida, dropping the first game 11-7 before rallying to earn a 3-3 tie in game two.
The Spartans outhit Stonehill 15-7 in the opener, building up a 10-0 lead before holding on to win by four runs. The Skyhawks trailed 3-1 late in the second contest, but scored twice in the seventh before the game was called after eight full innings due to rain.
Junior Chris Hoyt (Walpole, Massachusetts/Xaverian Brothers) led Stonehill's offense out of the leadoff spot, going 4-for-8 with a walk and three stolen bases. Sophomore first baseman Eddie Bowler (Hingham, Massachusetts/Hingham) went 2-for-4 with a double, while freshman outfielder Alex Hurley (Rumford, Rhode Island/Worcester Academy) hit a pinch-hit two-run home run, the first of his collegiate career.
Junior Nicholas Gargan (Nesconset, New York/St. Anthony's) got on base seven times to lead the St. Thomas Aquinas offense, as he went 6-for-9 over the doubleheader with a walk, two steals, and five runs scored. Freshman Giovanni Dingcong (Brooklyn, New York/The Beacon School) recorded five hits and drove in three runs, while junior John DeAngelis (Brooklyn, New York/Xaverian) belted a grand slam in game one.
St. Thomas Aquinas 11, Stonehill 7
Gargan, Dingcong, and senior infielder Stanley Susana (Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic/Cardinal Hayes) combined for ten of the Spartans' 15 hits in the opener, while Hoyt and Hurley paced the Skyhawks.
Sophomore lefty Jeremy Roberts (Reading, Massachusetts/Malden Catholic) took his first loss of the season for Stonehill, as he allowed five runs on nine hits while striking out five and walking two in 4.2 innings of work. Junior Matt Kostalos (Staten Island, New York/Moore Catholic) earned the win in relief for St. Thomas Aquinas.
The Spartans scored twice in the third and three times in the fifth before breaking the game open with five runs in the top of the sixth. Senior Omar Cuevas (Queens, New York/Arts and Business) worked a bases loaded walk, and DeAngelis followed with a grand slam to put St. Thomas Aquinas up 10-0.
Stonehill's offense woke up in the bottom of the sixth, scoring four times without the benefit of a hit. Sophomore outfielder Ben Monte (New Haven, Connecticut/Guilford) capped the frame by stealing home as the Skyhawks cut into St. Thomas Aquinas' lead. The teams traded single runs in the seventh, and Stonehill plated two more in the bottom of the ninth on Hurley's pinch-hit homer.
Senior Eric Schneider walked and scored a run in the seventh inning of game two. |
Stonehill 3, St. Thomas Aquinas 3
Gargan and Dingcong led the Spartan offense for the second straight game, recording two hits each, while Hoyt went 2-for-4 for Stonehill. Both teams got strong efforts from their starters, as senior Ryan Rougeot (Cheshire, Connecticut/Cheshire) allowed three unearned runs through five frames for Stonehill and sophomore Anthony Morris (New City, New York/Clarkstown South) lasted 6.2 innings, striking out five and giving up two earned runs on four hits for St. Thomas Aquinas.
As they did in the opener, the Spartans took another early lead in game two, scoring twice in the first on a sacrifice fly by Susana and a Stonehill error.
The Skyhawks got one run back in the bottom half of the inning, as Monte singled through the left side of the infield, scoring senior Christian Baglini (Milford, Connecticut/Notre Dame High).
Neither team scored over the next three frames, until St. Thomas Aquinas regained its two-run advantage in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Dingcong. Still trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh, Stonehill tied the game when senior Eric Schneider (Camarillo, California/St. Bonaventure) scored on a wild pitch and pinch-runner Pat Hurley (Roslindale, Massachusetts/Catholic Memorial) came in behind him after a throwing error on St. Thomas Aquinas catcher Chris Goetz (Staten Island, New York/Moore Catholic).
The Spartans plated the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth, but when Stonehill's half of the inning could not be completed due to rain, the game reverted to the last completed frame, resulting in a 3-3 tie.
Stonehill (9-4-1, 0-0 NE-10) and St. Thomas Aquinas (3-2-1, 0-0 ECC) will meet for a third time tomorrow morning at Alfond Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m.
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