Freshman Michael Young turned in eight shutout innings today as Stonehill defeated Adelphi 2-1. |
Freshman right-hander dominates with eight shutout innings, allowing just three hits
WEST HAVEN, Conn. (May 7, 2015) – Led by a dominant pitching performance from freshman right-hander Michael Young (Mashpee, Massachusetts/Pope John Paul II), Stonehill College opened the double elimination round of the Northeast-10 Conference Baseball Tournament with a 2-1 victory over Adelphi University this afternoon at Vieira Field on the campus of the University of New Haven.
Northeast Division No. 3 seed Stonehill (32-11-1, 16-7 NE-10), ranked No. 3 in the NCAA East Region, will take on top-seeded and No. 3 nationally-ranked Franklin Pierce University tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. with an opportunity to move to within one win of its fourth conference title in program history. Adelphi (19-20, 11-11 NE-10), the No. 4 seed from the Southwest Division, plays host and No.3 seed New Haven tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. in an elimination game.
Making his first career postseason start this afternoon, Young struck out four batters and allowed just three hits over eight shutout innings, improving to 4-2 with the win. Sophomore closer Aubrey Solomon (Groton, Massachusetts/Lawrence Academy) came on for the ninth and gave up one run on two hits, but shut the door on the Panthers for his conference-leading eighth save of the season.
Adelphi junior Jonathon Mulford (Massapequa, New York/Massapequa) also lasted eight full innings, striking out six and holding the Skyhawks to just two hits, but he issued three walks and gave up two early runs in his first loss of the season.
Senior Dan Fratus put the Skyhawks ahead with an RBI single in the first inning. |
Stonehill got off to a quick start offensively, plating a run on two hits in the bottom of the first. Junior center fielder Chris Hoyt (Walpole, Massachusetts/Xaverian Brothers) led off the inning with a single through the right side of the infield before moving up to second on a sacrifice and third on a wild pitch. Mulford retired the next batter, but senior shortstop Dan Fratus (Plymouth, Massachusetts/Plymouth North) came through with two outs, driving in Hoyt with a single up the middle.
The Skyhawks were able to manufacture another run in the second without the benefit of a hit to take a 2-0 lead. Senior catcher Eric Schneider (Camarillo, California/Saint Bonaventure) led off and reached base on a hit by pitch, before taking second on an Adelphi error. Schneider moved up to third on a fielder's choice, and scored two batters later on a sacrifice fly by sophomore outfielder Ben Monte (New Haven, Connecticut/Guilford).
Junior Tyler Murphy (Islip, New York/Islip) recorded Adelphi's first hit with one out in the second, but Young retired the next eight batters in order. Murphy broke up the streak in the fifth when he reached base again, this time on a hit by pitch to lead off the inning. He advanced to second on a groundout and third on a wild pitch, before sophomore Zack Levinson (Staten Island, New York/Susan E. Wagner) drew a walk to put two runners on base. Young got out of the jam unscathed when sophomore John Fogarty (Westbury, New York/Clarke) flew out to center field, and Murphy was thrown out at the plate as he attempted to tag up and score.
The freshman gave up singles in the sixth and eighth, but the Panthers were unable to break through until Solomon took over in the ninth. Freshman Kory Cassara (Mastic, New York/Eastport South Manor) led off with his second single of the day, and senior Nick Zito (Nesconset, New York/Smithtown West) followed with another single but was thrown out at second attempting to stretch it into a double. The Panthers pulled to within one run on a subsequent sacrifice fly by sophomore Robert Vani (Garden City, New York/Chaminade), but Solomon struck Murphy out to end the contest.
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