Baseball Splits One-Run Results at New Haven
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Merrimack baseball team claimed a 1-0 victory in game one and dropped a 3-2 decision in 11 innings at New Haven Saturday afternoon. The Warriors reach 10-17 overall and 2-10 in the Northeast-10 Conference. The Chargers move to 18-12 on the year with a 7-7 mark in the league.
Mark O'Flynn (Ipswich, Mass.) led the visitors with a 4-for-7 performance from the plate on the day. Brett Julian (Weymouth, Mass.) and Tim Curran (South Weymouth, Mass.) each raked a pair of hits in the twin bill.
CJ Flannery's (Hudson, N.H.) sixth inning RBI single up the middle was the only offense needed for Merrimack in game one. Curran led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Mike Dooling (Milford, Conn.). After Curran reached third on a wild pitch, Flannery drove him in to break the scoreless tie.
Joe Mantoni (Hopedale, Mass.) tossed a gem in game one, pitching eight innings and spraying just three hits while fanning eight batters. Julian picked up his fourth save of the year by closing out the game with a perfect ninth inning, allowing no hits and striking out one.
New Haven scored the nightcap's first run, grabbing a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third.
Merrimack tied the score in the sixth inning on an RBI single to center by O'Flynn. The Warriors took a 2-1 lead in the eighth frame. O'Flynn drew a two-out walk and advanced to second on a single by Julian. Curran knocked in O'Flynn with a single through the left side of the infield to lift the visiting team.
The Chargers stormed back and leveled the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth. Ryan Brockett started the inning with a single to left field and stole second and third. Shane O'Connell drove in the tying run with a single to right center.
In the top of the tenth, the Warriors had the go-ahead run at third base with one out but New Haven prevented the visitors from taking a lead. The Chargers pushed the game-winning run to third with two outs in the home half of the inning but Merrimack escaped unharmed as the next batter flew out to centerfield.
Chris DeMorais' RBI single to right field in the bottom half of the 11th allowed New Haven to walk-off with the doubleheader split.
Conner McMahon (Westfield, Mass.) hurled 7.2 innings for the Warriors and surrendered five hits and one run while retiring five batters by way of the "K". Chris Pinette (Norwood, Mass.) worked the final 2.2 innings and fanned one Charger.
Merrimack returns to the friendly confines of Warrior Diamond April 17 to host Bentley.
