Schindler Stymies Saint Rose as Baseball Splits Its Doubleheader Saturday in Albany
Links: Box Score (G1) | Box Score (G2)
ALBANY, N.Y. – Senior lefthander Zach Schindler (Halifax, Mass.) threw eight innings of two-run ball as the Merrimack College baseball team split its doubleheader with the College of Saint Rose on Saturday afternoon at the Plumeri Sports Complex. The Warriors won Schindler's start, 7-2, for his third victory of the season.
The Basics
Score (G1): Merrimack 7, Saint Rose 2
Score (G2): Saint Rose 11, Merrimack 3
Records: Merrimack (13-9, 3-2) | Saint Rose (6-10, 2-1)
Location: Albany, N.Y. | Plumeri Sports Complex
How It Happened (G1)
Entering the top of the third, Saint Rose held a 1-0 lead, as Schindler relinquished one run in the bottom of the first inning.
The Warriors responded with two runs in the top of the third. Tyler Lyne (Agawam, Mass.) reached second on an error by the left fielder and came around to score on a double from Cam DiSarcina (Shirley, Mass.). Cleanup hitter Sean O'Neill (Norwood, Mass.) pushed DiSarcina home on a single, making it 2-1 Warriors.
After Saint Rose tied in it the bottom half, the Navy and Gold scored three times in the fourth. Merrimack's first three batters reached base before a grounder to shortstop allowed Matthew Ronai (Orange, Conn.) to score. With two outs in the inning and runners on second and third, an error by the Golden Knights infield allowed both to score, pushing the Warriors' advantage to 5-2.
Schindler put up five scoreless frames after allowing two runs over the first three. The Golden Knights did not see a runner reach scoring position through the fourth and seventh frames. With a runner on second and two outs in the bottom of the eighth, a tailing changeup got the fourth-year lefty his sixth strikeout of the day.
The Warriors picked up one insurance run for the 7-2 victory. Matt Brown (Belmont, Mass.) led the offense with three hits, while Joe Velozo (Tewksbury, Mass.) came on to toss a scoreless ninth inning.
How It Happened (G2)
Sophomore Anthony Lupi (Dover, N.H.) struggled in his fourth start of the season. He allowed five runs over the first two innings, and could not get out of the third frame following a leadoff triple. Freshman Riley Sorenson (Sandwich, Mass.) came out of the bullpen and got three consecutive outs to prevent the inherited runner from scoring.
Merrimack's offense scored once in each of its first three at-bats to keep the deficit within two, 5-3, entering the fourth inning. Lyne and DiSarcina combined for a double and single, respectively, for the Warriors' first run. Two sacrifice flies from Ronai and Brown accounted for the other runs.
A three-run fourth for the hosts expanded their lead to five runs, 8-3, as they took advantage of two errors and a passed ball in the inning.
With the score at 9-3, the Warriors loaded the bases in the top of the seventh with two outs, but Brown was unable to capitalize on the opportunity. The Golden Knights added two insurance tallies for the 11-3 win.
Inside The Numbers
- Schindler's final line (W, 3-1): 8.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
- Brown led the Warriors offense with five hits on the day, score two runs and adding two RBI. In Merrimack's three games this week, the captain went 8-of-13 at the dish
- In the opener, Pat Florence (Lowell, Mass.) posted his fifth multi-hit game of the season. He already has more multi-hit games this season than he had in the previous three combined, as he tied his career high for hits with his 14th of the year on Saturday
- Sorenson tossed four more innings, increasing his total to nine on his rookie year. He has limited opposing hitters to just a .188 average, striking out eight and allowing only one earned run
Up Next
The Warriors begin a six-game week by returning to divisional play, taking on Bentley University in Waltham, Mass. on Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.
--
For continuing coverage of Merrimack College Athletics, visit MerrimackAthletics.com and follow the Warriors on Twitter and on Facebook.
