Baseball Makes Statement at Stonehill with Doubleheader Sweep

4/1/2010 12:00:00 AM

EASTON, MA – Off to their best Conference start (5-1) in head coach Joe Sarno's tenure, the Merrimack College baseball team swept the Stonehill Skyhawks (7-9, 3-2 NE-10) in a Conference/non-Conference doubleheader at Lou Gorman Field Thursday afternoon.

In game one, senior Dylan Ellis (Gloucester, MA) threw “another gem” according to Sarno, but the lefty was unable to get his second win of the season due to a dearth of early run support.  Senior captain Brendan Pyburn (Peabody, MA) came through in the clutch again though with a two-run single to left center to score sophomore Paul Manganiello (Levittown, NY) and freshman Mark O'Flynn (Ipswich, MA) and break a 1-1 tie in the 10^th inning.

Ellis threw 6.2 innings and allowed just one run on six hits.  Senior captain Ryan McNeill (Lynnfield, MA) spelled Ellis for 2.1 innings and picked up his third win on the season while classmate and fellow captain Ryan O'Rourke (Worcester, MA) recorded his second save of the year in a one-two-three 10^th inning to hang on to a 3-1 Conference win.

“We were able to get out of a few jams allowing us to get the win,” said Sarno.  “Overall, we are playing like a team that knows how to win.”

In game two, the Warriors shut out the Skyhawks, 4-0, in a non-Conference game started by freshman Brett Julian (Weymouth, MA).  Julian went seven strong innings without surrendering a run and allowing five hits.

“[Brett] Julian just pitched a great game and showed incredible poise in his first career start,” said Sarno.

The freshman O'Flynn accounted for two RBIs in the eighth inning of game two to cushion the Warriors' 2-0 lead supplied by a Pat Charette (Carver, MA) single in the fifth.

Despite being out-hit 8-4 in game two, Merrimack mitigated any Skyhawk threats and capitalized on two fifth-inning errors committed by the home team.

Senior captain Matt Hogan (Andover, MA) upped his batting average to .310 on the season with two hits in the nightcap.  Prior to Thursday, Hogan rode an eight-game hit streak before being blanked in game one.

Currently second in the Northeast-10 Conference behind Southern Connecticut (8-1 NE-10), the Warriors return to action on Saturday at home when they face Adelphi University (15-6, 3-2 NE-10) in a Conference doubleheader at Warrior Diamond starting at noon.