Baseball Falls in Doubleheader vs. #3/5 SNHU Sunday
Links: Box Score (G1) | Box Score (G2)
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College baseball team took No. 3/5 Southern New Hampshire to extra innings in the first game of their twin bill on Sunday afternoon from the Warrior Baseball Diamond, but the visitors won the opener in extra innings before winning the series finale against the Warriors.
The Basics
Score (G1): #3/5 SNHU 5, Merrimack 3 (10 innings)
Score (G2): #3/5 SNHU 12, Merrimack 2
Records: Merrimack (24-14, 8-5 NE Div.) | #3/5 SNHU (37-3, 14-1 NE Div.)
Location: Warrior Baseball Diamond | North Andover, Mass.
How It Happened (G1)
A pitcher's duel ensued in the twin bill opener, with each program's ace squaring off. Junior Perry Kulaga (Lincroft, N.J.) took the hill for the Navy and Gold, opposed by Tim Viehoff of the Penmen.
The game was scoreless until the top of the third, when Penmen leadoff hitter Zach Goldstein drove a 2-0 fastball over the leftfield fence for a home run.
It took the Warriors until the fifth inning to get to Viehoff, who entered the game with an 8-0 record. Freshman Matthew Ronai (Orange, Conn.) skied a double to left field to start things off. A walk, fielder's choice and single loaded the bases for Tyler Lyne (Agawam, Mass.) with two outs. Even though he struck out swinging, the ball escaped the Penmen catcher, allowing Lyne to reach and Ricky Smith (Weymouth, Mass.) to score.
The Penmen immediately answered in their next at-bat with a run-scoring double and a sacrifice fly, taking a 3-1 advantage. Kulaga limited the damage to just two runs in the sixth, and held the visitors to zero runs over the next three innings, leaving after nine frames and eight strikeouts.
The score stayed at 3-1 entering the bottom of the ninth. Sophomore Matt Nicholson (Rockland, Mass.) started the inning with a single to right field. Classmate Mike Hoalcraft (Fayetteville, N.Y.) followed by driving one to the 375-marker in left field, but the SNHU leftfielder made a diving catch to send him back to the dugout.
Down to the last out, Smith came to the plate and worked a 2-0 count before drilling his first career home run to left-center field to tie the game at three-all.
As they did in the sixth, however, the Penmen responded immediately with two runs in the top of the tenth. The Warriors sent the game-winning run to the plate in the bottom half, but the Penmen ended the game on a double play.
How It Happened (G2)
Sophomore PJ Browne (Rutland, Mass.) got the ball in game two and immediately ran into trouble. Two home runs and a sacrifice fly staked the Penmen to a 5-0 advantage after the first inning. The southpaw pitched into the third inning, but was chased after allowed seven runs – six earned – against one of the nation's top offenses.
Junior Matt DiNello (Southington, Conn.) came out of the bullpen and pitched five innings of two-run relief, both of which were unearned. The third-year hurler also struck out two Penmen during that span.
Merrimack's offense was quieted by starter Joe McCarthy, who pitched into the eighth inning allowing just two runs. Redshirt-junior Mike Forgione (North Branford, Conn.) scored the Navy and Gold's first run in bottom of the sixth on a wild pitch. Senior Sean O'Neill (Norwood, Mass.) knocked in Lyne on a grounder to first to account for the Warriors' other run.
The Penmen tacked on three runs over the eighth and ninth innings to make it a 12-2 final.
Inside The Numbers
- Kulaga's final line (ND): 9.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
- The third-year starter entered the opener needing just a full inning to set a new career high for innings pitched in a season (65.0). He made his 10th appearance as well, setting a new high after appearing in nine games in each of his first two years
- Additionally, Kulaga's eight strikeouts fell one short of his season high, and brought him within five punch outs of setting a new personal best
- Smith's game-tying shot was the first round-tripper of the sophomore's career. The backstop's current slash line of .250/.341/.389 are on pace to be career highs
Up Next
The Warriors play four games on the road next week, starting on Wednesday afternoon when Merrimack heads to Worcester for a 3:30 affair with Assumption.
--
For continuing coverage of Merrimack College Athletics, visit MerrimackAthletics.com and follow the Warriors on Twitter and on Facebook.
