Links: Box Score
NORTHBOROUGH, Mass.  – The Merrimack College baseball program saw its six-game winning streak against Assumption College come to an end on Wednesday night, as the Greyhounds bested the Warriors, 10-5, from the New England Baseball Complex in Northborough, Mass. The Navy and Gold dropped their first of three divisional games this spring against Assumption, falling to 8-9 overall in 2018.
The Basics
Score: Assumption 10,
Merrimack 5
Records: Merrimack (8-9, 0-1 NE DIV) | Assumption (8-14, 1-0 NE DIV)
Location: New England Baseball Complex | Northborough, Mass
Rapid Recap
- After Browne put down the Greyhounds in the top half, sophomore Joey Porricelli hit a leadoff double and junior Matthew Ronai knocked him in with a two-out single to give Merrimack a 1-0 lead
- Assumption evened the game in the top of the fourth with a solo homer. Merrimack answered in the bottom half, however, with senior Ricky Smith drawing a two-out bases-loaded walk to give the Warriors the lead back, 2-1, through four frames
- In the bottom of the fifth, an error allowed graduate student Paul Buckley to reach third with one out. The second baseman immediately scored on a sacrifice fly by classmate Tyler Lyne. Senior Mike Hoalcraft knocked in one more with a RBI single, making it a 4-1 game
- With the score at 5-1, Assumption chased Browne in the seventh. The Greyhounds scored twice on a base knock to left field by Jake Byrne, cutting their deficit in half. Sophomore Stephen Fleury relieved the lefty, and limited the damage to two runs
- Assumption threatened to tie the game in the eighth, putting two on with one out. Fleury buckled down, retiring the final two batters via strikeouts to maintain the two-run lead
- With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the ninth, the Greyhounds used a bases-clearing triple to pull in front, 6-5. Assumption plated four more runs before the inning came to a close, totaling seven in its last at-bats to win the game
Notes and Notables:
- WP: King (2-0) | LP: Monagle (0-1)
- Browne's Final Line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K
- By getting through the first inning, Browne became just the fifth Warrior in school history with 200 career innings pitched
- The southpaw now owns 216 career strikeouts, moving with 15 of the school record
- Ronai continues to wear out Assumption pitching. Dating back to last season, the designated hitter is 11-of-18 over his last four games against the Greyhounds. He led the Warriors with three hits on Wednesday
Up Next
Merrimack faces a three-game set with Franklin Pierce beginning on Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. from Rindge, N.H. The series concludes with a doubleheader at 12 p.m. on Saturday.
