Baseball Opens Divisional Play Thursday at Bentley

Baseball Opens Divisional Play Thursday at Bentley

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NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College baseball team begins Northeast Division action on Thursday afternoon when the Warriors travel to Waltham, Mass. to play their first game against Bentley University from DeFelice Field in Waltham, Mass. The contest was originally supposed to be played yesterday at the Warrior Baseball Diamond, but was rescheduled and moved to Bentley's campus due to unplayable field conditions in North Andover.

The Basics
 Date/Time: 3/30 | 3:30 p.m.
Records: Merrimack (8-10, 0-0 NE Div.) | Bentley (2-15, 0-0 NE Div.)
Location: Robert DeFelice Field | Waltham, Mass.

Last Time Out:

  • The Warriors swept a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader on Sunday, topping the American International Yellow Jackets from Trinity Stadium in Haverhill, Mass.
  • Junior lefty Anthony Lupi (Dover, N.H.) retired the final 21 batters he faced as part of a 4-1 victory in the first game. Lupi worked eight innings, tying his season high with nine strikeouts. Senior closer Nate Spielvogel (Brookline, Mass.) retired the final two batters of the ninth after inheriting a pair of baserunners to record his first save of the season
  • In the finale, sophomore Cam Monagle (Cambridge, Mass.) allowed just one baserunner through six innings – on a bunt single nonetheless – on his way to the first win of his career in his first-ever start. Monagle matched Lupi with nine punch outs, which was a career high for the second-year righty
  • Merrimack's offense staked Monagle to a 5-0 lead after sending all nine batters to the plate in the top of the first. Freshman third baseman Joey Porricelli (Monroe, Conn.) moved up to the No. 2 hole and collected an RBI double as part of his second multi-hit effort of week, which resulted in some hardware as the NE10 Rookie of the Week

Last Season vs. Bentley:

  • Merrimack swept the season series with the Falcons in 2016, with all three games decided by two runs or fewer
  • The first contest saw the Falcons rally for four runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at eight-all, only to see the Warriors prevail in 11 innings, 11-9. Redshirt-junior Tyler Lyne (Agawam, Mass.) went 3-for-6 on the day with a home run, triple and six RBI – the most RBI in a single game for a Warrior since the 2013 season
  • Trailing 3-0 entering the seventh inning of the series' second game, Merrimack scored four runs in its final three at-bats to claim a 4-3 victory. Senior Perry Kulaga (Lincroft, N.J.) worked 8.2 innings to record the win
  • In last season's home finale, Merrimack rallied from a 6-0 deficit to force extra innings and won in walk-off fashion on a bunt single that scored sophomore Matthew Ronai (Orange, Conn.). Senior Matt DiNello (Southington, Conn.), Kulaga and Spielvogel combined to throw 8.2 scoreless innings of relief, striking out nine Falcons and only allowing five base hits

The Falcons:

  • Bentley enters Thursday's tilt with two wins over 17 games, which were regional triumphs over Concordia (N.Y.) and Bridgeport. Today will be the Falcons' home opener
  • The Falcons are currently on a five-game losing streak that included a pair of NE10 losses to the University of New Haven over the weekend
  • Senior Justin Ashworth leads the offensive with a .321 average, collecting 18 hits over 56 at-bats. Sophomore Brandon Grover paces the groups with eight extra-base hits – half of his total base knocks – including both of the team's homers on the year
  • Graduate Bill Sullivan has made six starts to date, throwing a team-high 38.2 innings including one complete game. He leads the staff with 33 strikeouts and is second with a 3.72 ERA

Up Next
 The Navy and Gold are set to travel to Stonehill for a three-game series beginning with a doubleheader on Sunday at 12 p.m. The three-game set was originally supposed to be played on campus, but was moved to Gorman Field in Easton, Mass. due to field availability.

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For continuing coverage of Merrimack College Athletics, visit MerrimackAthletics.com and follow the Warriors on Twitter and on Facebook.

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