Farnham's 10th Inning RBI Caps Comeback, Baseball Tops Assumption 4-3
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – PJ Farnham (Andover, Mass.) drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning to secure a come-from-behind victory over Assumption. The Merrimack baseball team improved to 9-16 on the year while the Greyhounds sink to 7-20 overall.
Mark O'Flynn (Ipswich, Mass.) led the way with a 3-for-5 batting performance with two runs scored in the game. Mike Dooling (Milford, Conn.) recorded the Warriors' only other hits, going 2-for-3 from the dish on the afternoon.
Assumption broke through in the top of the fifth as Mike Foley sent a laser over the left field fence to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Wally Derosier homered in the seventh inning to double the Greyhounds' advantage to two runs. Assumption added a third run in the top of the eighth to own a 3-0 edge.
Merrimack mounted a furious comeback in the bottom of the ninth inning. Trailing 3-0 with their backs against the wall, the Warriors pushed three runs across the plate tie the game and send it to extra innings.
O'Flynn led off the frame with a single to left field. Dooling raked a two-out single to left to advance O'Flynn to second. Joe Mantoni (Hopedale, Mass.) loaded the bases with a walk.
CJ Flannery (Hudson, Mass.) followed with a base on balls to score Merrimack's first run of the afternoon. Paul Manganiello (Levittown, N.Y.) cut the deficit to one run with another walk to drive in the Warriors' second run of the game.
Merrimack knotted the score at 3-3 as Beau Batchelor (Peabody, Mass.) worked a full-count and was hit by a pitch to rotate the base-runners, plating the third run of the inning.
Chris Pinette (Norwood, Mass.) kept the game a stalemate at 3-3 as he prevented the Greyhounds from scoring. Despite allowing the leadoff batter to reach base, Pinette induced two groundouts and picked up a strikeout to get out of the inning unscathed.
O'Flynn cracked a triple to right center field to lead off the bottom half of the tenth, putting the game-winning run 90 feet from home plate. Farnham pinch hit and sent a fly ball to right field, allowing O'Flynn to tag up on the play and cross home safely for the walk-off win.
Travis Terrill (Hudson, N.H.) tossed a gem in his first collegiate start. The rookie went seven innings and allowed two earned runs while striking out five batters. Terrill surrendered just four hits in the outing. Brian Wolfendale (Methuen, Mass.) worked two innings before giving way to Pinette, who earned his second win of the season on the mound.
The Warriors look to keep the momentum going as they travel to take on New Haven in weekend doubleheader, April 16. Merrimack returns to the friendly confines of Warrior Diamond April 17 to host Bentley.
