Baseball Drops Four-Hour Marathon with #3/5 SNHU, 20-14, on Senior Day Saturday
Links: Box Score
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College baseball team honored its graduating seniors in a pregame ceremony before its series opener against No. 3/5 Southern New Hampshire and a four-hour plus contest followed as the Warriors lost a slugfest, 20-14, against the Penmen on Saturday at the Warrior Baseball Diamond
The Basics
Score: #3/5 SNHU 20, Merrimack 14
Records: Merrimack (24-12, 8-3 NE Div.) | #3/5 SNHU (35-3, 12-1 NE-10)
Location: Warrior Baseball Diamond | North Andover, Mass.
How It Happened
Before the game, the group of Matt Brown (Belmont, Mass.), Pat Florence (Lowell, Mass.), Mike Forgione (North Branford, Conn.), Bobby Losanno (Peabody, Mass.), Mike Nolan (Pembroke, Mass.), Sean O'Neill (Norwood, Mass.) and Zach Schindler (Halifax, Mass.) were honored as part of the pregame festivities.
Schindler took the ball in the game that followed, taking a 2-1 lead into the top of the third inning after Merrimack's offense put one run on the board in the first and second frames, respectively. The Penmen proceeded to chase Merrimack's starter in the third, scoring six runs on three hits and taking advantage of a pair of Warriors' miscues. The Merrimack pitching staff also walked six Penmen in the inning.
The visitors' advantage grew to 16-3 entering the bottom of the sixth, but the afternoon was only just getting started. Losanno led the inning off with a double, and Forgione, the next hitter, sent him home on a single into right center. The Warriors scored two runs on a throwing error by the Penmen first basemen, and later netted runs on a run-scoring fielder's choice and a run on a passed ball. The five-run frame made it a 16-8 game entering the seventh.
SNHU answered with three runs in the top half, pushing its run total to 19. The Warriors offense again did not relent, putting up another five-spot in their at-bats. Tyler Lyne (Agawam, Mass.) singled, Cam DiSarcina (Shirley, Mass.) walked and O'Neill was hit by a pitch to load the bases for sophomore Mike Hoalcraft (Fayetteville, N.Y.), who made his first appearance at the plate after entering as a pinch runner in the sixth. The second-year player drilled a bases-clearing triple, making it a 19-11 game.
Hoalcraft trotted home on a sacrifice fly by Matt Nicholson (Rockland, Mass.) to the warning track in centerfield. With two outs, Florence legged out a double to right-center field, and scored on a sharp single to left by Losanno, and the Warriors were within six at 19-13.
Each side scored once in the ninth to make it a 20-14 final. The divisional rivals combined for 34 runs and 36 hits on the day.
Inside The Numbers
- Six Penmen and five Warriors recorded multi-hit games, with a combined eight players posting three-hit days in the offensive onslaught between two of the top three squads in the Northeast Division entering the weekend
- O'Neill drove his career-high extending third home run of the season to straightaway centerfield in the third inning for the Warriors. The Penmen recorded on round-tripper as well
- O'Neill wasn't the only senior batter who put forth a strong performance on Senior Day: Florence, Forgione and Losanno all recorded three hits on the day. Florence scored a team-high three runs, while Forgione and Losanno combined for three RBI
- In limited time this season, Hoalcraft has seven hits, including his first-ever triple on Saturday, for a .389/.476/.556 slash line
- Among a myriad of impressive offensive outings, Derek Bauer, the Penmen's first baseman, led all players with six RBI and tied for the team high with three hits
Up Next
The Warriors and Penmen conclude their three-game series tomorrow afternoon with a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.
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