Stonehill Holds Off Baseball, 4-2, Friday Night
Links: Box Score
HAVERHILL, MASS. – The Stonehill Skyhawks used a three-run fifth inning to jump ahead of the Merrimack College baseball team on Friday night and never looked back as the Warriors lost, 4-2, from Trinity Stadium in Haverhill, Mass. The contest opened up a key three-game series in the Northeast Division.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 2 | Stonehill 4
Records: Merrimack (9-6, 3-1 NE-10) | Stonehill (13-4-1, 1-0 NE-10)
Location: Trinity Stadium | Haverhill, Mass.
How It Happened
Merrimack entered a pivotal series with the Skyhawks giving the ball to junior Zach Schindler (Kingston, Mass.), who made his second start of the 2015 campagin.
Schindler got through the first four innings allowing just one run, but the Warriors offense was also held scoreless during that time. In the top of the fifth, Schindler ran into trouble. After a ground-rule double put runners at second and third for the Skyhawks, Stonehill plated both on a two-RBI single to score the its second and third runs of the game. Schindler got out of the inning, but not before the score read 4-0.
Freshman Cam LaFleur (Brookline, N.H.) replaced Schindler to begin the top of the sixth. He threw two scoreless innings and the Navy and Gold offense got going in the bottom of the seventh. Junior Sean O'Neill (Norwood, Mass.) began the inning with a leadoff walk, and scored later in the frame on a bloop hit from Matt Brown (Belmont, Mass.). The Warriors captain came around to score on a RBI single from fellow captain Pat Florence (Lowell, Mass.) to make it 4-2.
Merrimack could have continued the rally, but Stonehill made a pitching change after the Florence hit that impacted the outcome. Closer Aubrey Solomon came out of the pen, and retired pinch hitter Dionys Quezada (Lawrence, Mass.) looking, but commited a balk which put runners at second and third for the Navy and Gold. Solomon buckled down and struck out Bobby Losanno (Peabody, Mass.) to end the frame. The Skyhawks top reliever did not allow a hit, striking out five Warriors, to pick up his fourth save.
LaFleur ate up some crucial inning for the Warriors, lasting through the ninth inning. The Skyhawks did not score during that span, leaving an opportunity open for a Merrimack comeback. The Navy and Gold could not muster any more offense, falling 4-2.
Inside The Numbers
- Schindler's final line read as follows: five innings, five hits, four runs (three earned) with one walk and four strikeouts
- LaFleur came in and once again proved solid relief work for the Warriors. He threw the final four innings, allowing five hits but zero runs. He totaled five strikeouts and Merrimack's bullpen has now thrown seven scoreless innings over the last two games
- Brown totaled two of the Warriors' five hits, and was the lone member of the order to have a multi-hit game. Merrimack did not get much production from the top of its order, as No. 1-4 went a combined 1-for-13 and left four runners on base
Up Next
The series concludes on Sunday afternoon with a doubleheader beginning at Noon. Both teams are ranked in the top-five in East Region, according to the NCBWA.
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