Junior Steve Lee hit a two-run homerun in the bottom of the eighth inning to score the only runs of the game in game two. |
Skyhawks walk-off in game one, use late two-run homerun from Lee to take game two
EASTON, Mass. (April 9, 2016) – The Stonehill College baseball team ranked No. 10 in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Associations (NCBWA) East Region poll, took the lead late in both games to sweep American International College in inter-divisional Northeast-10 Conference action today at Lou Gorman Field.
Stonehill scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to erase a one run deficit, highlighted by sophomore Justin Nicklas's (Foxboro, Massachusetts/St. Sebastian's) game winning RBI single to center field to plate senior Eric Schneider (Camarillo, California/St. Bonaventure) in game one. Junior Steve Lee (Braintree, Massachusetts/Braintree) played the hero in game two, hitting a two-run homerun in the bottom of the eighth inning to break a scoreless tie and give the Skyhawks the sweep.
Senior Brian Campbell (Franklin, Massachusetts/Mount Saint Charles) led the Skyhawks at the plate, going 3-for-9 with four RBI and two runs. Classmates Brian Hocking (Duxbury, Massachusetts/BC High) and Chris Hoyt (Walpole, Massachusetts/Xaverian Brothers) registered two hits each, while Lee finished 2-for-9 with two runs and two RBI and Schneider finished with a pair of hits and a run and RBI.
Sophomore Reed Phillips (East Longmeadow, Massachusetts/East Longmeadow) paced American International at the plate, going 4-for-7, while junior Chris Starcun (Easthampton, Massachusetts/Easthampton) went 4-for-9 with three runs and two RBI.
Stonehill 10, AIC 9
Senior John Hauck (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania/Penn-Trafford) took the ball in game one for Stonehill and pitched three innings, surrendering five runs (two earned), while striking out five batters. Sophomore Pat Shore (Norwood, Massachusetts/Catholic Memorial) earned the win after pitching three innings in relief, allowing just two hits and one run.
American International scored the game's first three runs in the top of the first inning, using six hits and an error to take the early lead. The Yellow Jackets would plate two more runs in the third to push their lead to 5-0, when senior Eddie Ritch (Dobbs Ferry, New York/Dobbs Ferry) hit an infield single with the bases loaded to score senior Karl Kapinos (South Hadley, Massachusetts/Hopkins Academy) and Phillips followed up with a run, scoring on a passed ball.
Stonehill responded in the bottom half of the third, when Sophomore Isiah Nunez (Brooklyn, New York/Berkshire School) led off the inning with a double to left field. Hoyt then singled on a bunt which moved Nunez over to third, and Campbell crushed a fastball over the outfield fence for a three-run homerun, bringing the Skyhawks to within two runs.
Stonehill inched closer in the fourth inning, as Hocking reached base on an infield single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Alexander Joyce (Newton, Massachusetts/Newton North). Junior Ben Monte (New Haven, Connecticut/Guilford) then singled up the middle to plate Hocking and make the score 5-4, American International.
Hoyt led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a double to center field and Lee squared up to lay down a bunt to advance Hoyt to third. Lee bunted the ball back to the pitcher who subsequently threw the ball over the first baseman's head, allowing Hoyt to score from second and Lee advance to third. Stonehill took the lead the very next at bat, as Campbell singled through the left side of the infield to score Lee from third and give the Skyhawks a 6-5 lead.
American International plated three runs in the sixth to retake the lead, 8-6, but Stonehill got a run back in the bottom half of the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Hoyt.
The Yellow Jackets looked to score an insurance run in the top half of the eighth inning, setting the score at 9-7. Stonehill once again refused to go away, as Hoyt hit a fly ball to leftfield which was dropped, scoring freshman Matthew Rocco (Newington, Connecticut/Newington) from second base.
Heading to the bottom of the ninth inning, Stonehill trailed 9-8, but rallied immediately. Campbell hit a leadoff double to center field and Schneider singled to score Campbell from second to tie the game. Junior Eddie Bowler (Hingham, Massachusetts/Hingham) followed up with a single to left field and Hocking laid down a bunt, moving the runners to second and third with one out. Nicklas then stepped up to the plate and delivered an RBI single, ending the game at 10-9 and giving the Skyhawks game one of the doubleheader.
Junior Jeremy Roberts pitched 6.2 shutout innings in game two's win. |
Stonehill 2, AIC 0
Game two was a classic pitcher's duel, as junior Jeremy Roberts (Reading, Massachusetts/Malden Catholic) and American International's sophomore Jason Coscio (Hopewell Junction, New York/John Jay) traded zero's on the scoreboard throughout the game. Roberts pitched 6.2 shutout innings, walking three and striking out four, while Coscio threw a complete game, allowing just four hits.
American International threatened to score first in the sixth inning, as the Yellow Jackets loaded the bases, but Roberts coaxed a pop out from Ritch to end the inning.
Neither team could get much going until the bottom of the eighth inning when Hoyt worked a two out walk and stole second base, setting up Lee's heroics. Lee drove a two strike fastball over the left center field fence to give the Skyhawks a 2-0 lead heading to the ninth inning.
Sophomore Michael Young (Mashpee, Massachusetts/Pope John Paul II) picked up his second win of the season after pitching two innings of scoreless relief and junior Aubrey Solomon (Groton, Massachusetts/Lawrence Academy) earned his fifth save of the season as he got the final out of the ninth inning, working out of a bases loaded jam.
Stonehill (14-11, 3-5 NE-10) returns to action on Tuesday as they travel to Assumption College to take on the Greyhounds at 3:30 p.m. American International (6-23, 1-13 NE-10) will remain on the road as they travel to Bentley University for a doubleheader starting at noon.
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