Hurley tallies only RBI for the Skyhawks
Rocco tallied one of four hits in the loss |
EASTON, Mass. (May 3, 2018) – The Stonehill College baseball team was unable to fight back against Merrimack College on Thursday afternoon at Lou Gorman Field, as the Warriors won game one 5-1 in six innings in Northeast-10 Conference play as the game was stopped at the end of the inning.
For the Skyhawks, Alex Hurley (Rumford, Rhode Island/Worcester Academy) tallied the only RBI as he drove in Matthew Rocco (Newington, Connecticut/Newington). Hurley went 1-for-2 with a walk at the plate, while Rocco went 1-for-3 with a run scored.
The first batter of the game, Joey Porricelli built up the count before launching a solo homerun to center field for the first run of the game, 1-0. Tyler Lyne followed and was hit by a pitch taking first base and then reaching third on an overthrow on his attempt to steal second. Matthew Ronai put runners on first and third for the Warriors as he was also hit by a pitch. Thomas Quinn (Wilbraham, Massachusetts/Wilbraham Monson) caught Ronai stealing second and threw him out, as Lyne snuck home for the second run of the game, 2-0. The bases were quickly loaded with a single and back-to-back batters who were hit by a pitch, but Michael White (Stamford, Connecticut/Stamford/Canterbury School) struck out his first batter of the game to retire the side.
Stonehill responded in the bottom of the first cutting the deficit to one, 2-1 with a one out RBI single from Hurley. With runners on first and second, Hurley connected for a single through five-six hole advancing the runners and scoring Rocco from second. The Warriors stopped the offensive attack stranding runners on first and third after a fielder's choice and a strikeout.
Merrimack saw one hit in the top of the second, as the Warriors retired the Skyhawks in the bottom of the second with three-straight outs. In the top of the third, Merrimack picked up another run with a solo homerun lifted over the left field fence to extend the lead back to two, 3-1.
The Warriors had another big inning in the top of the fifth, as Joyce led off with a double to left center. With one out Smith sent another long ball out of the park adding another two runs to the board, 5-1.
Stonehill saw a base runner left on base in the fifth and sixth innings, while Merrimack stranded one on base off one hit in the top of the sixth before the game was called due to rain.
Stonehill (16-20-1, 9-14-1 NE10) welcomes Merrimack College for game two of the series on Thursday, May 4 at Lou Gorman Field for the second to last divisional game for the Skyhawks.
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