Links: Box Score (Game 1) |
Box Score (Game 2)
Video: Coach Barese Interview
NASHUA, N.H. – The Merrimack College baseball program picked up its first Northeast Division series victory of the season on Saturday, topping Saint Anselm, 7-2, in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader between the Warriors and Hawks at Holman Stadium in Nashua, N.H. The Hawks recovered to win the series finale, 4-3.
The Basics
Score (G1): Merrimack 7, Saint Anselm 2
Score (G2): Saint Anselm 4,
Merrimack 3
Records: Merrimack (15-14, 8-8 NE10) | Saint Anselm (9-17, 3-10 NE10)
Location: Holman Stadium | Nashua, N.H.
Rapid Recap (Game 1):
- Senior Anthony Lupi got out of jams in the first and second inning after the Hawks put runners in scoring position in each inning
- Merrimack's bats then gave the lefty support with a three-run third inning. Sophomore Joey Porricelli hit a RBI double to score sophomore Nick Shumski. Graduate student Tyler Lyne followed with a line-drive triple down the line in left field to plate Porricelli. Lyne came home on a grounder by junior Matthew Ronai to account for the third run
- Lupi settled in and retired eight straight spanning the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. He ran into trouble in the seventh, loading the bases with no out. The Dover, N.H. native retired the next batter on a sacrifice fly, and the next batter grounded out to score a run. Holding a 3-2 lead and the tying run a third, the lefty ended the frame on a line out to center
- A four-run eighth salted the game away for the hosts. Senior Matt Nicholson laced a two-run double down the line in right to bring in two runs. Sophomore Thomas Joyce and senior Ricky Smith added RBI to bring the Warriors' lead to 7-2
- Junior Daniel Amidon relieved Lupi to start the eighth and threw two clean innings to end the game
Rapid Recap (Game 2):
- Freshman Vin Zappulla relented a two-out single in the bottom of the first as Saint Anselm took a 1-0 lead. That score held until the top of the fourth, when a bases-loaded hit batmen gave the Hawks a 2-0 advantage
- Merrimack answered in the bottom half via a sacrifice fly by Nicholson to make it a one-run game. In the bottom of the fifth, graduate student Paul Buckley hit his second career home run to even the score at 2-2
- Facing reliever Stephen Fleury for the third inning, the Hawks got to the Wilbraham, Mass. native for a two-run single that pushed their advantage back to two, 4-2
- Redshirt-junior Garrett Hudson limited the damage to just a pair of tallies, and the Warriors came to bat in the ninth down two. Nicholson led off with a double, advanced to third and scored on a wild pitch. Merrimack put the tying run on first, but saw its comeback attempt end there
Notes and Notables (Game 1):
- WP – Lupi (3-3) | LP – Dunn (5-3)
- Lupi's Final Line (W): 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
- With the victory in the opener, Merrimack secured its first Northeast Division series victory of the year
- The top of the order dominated the game, combining to 7-for-14 at the dish with five runs scored and six RBI
- Lupi has excelled during his last three outings, allowing just three runs over his last 17 innings pitched. He has a 1.59 ERA during that stretch and has moved into second place on the team with three victories
- Lyne notched his 12th career triple, moving within two of tying the program record
Notes and Notables (Game 2)
- WP – Wojichowski (1-3) | LP – Fleury (1-3) | S: Byrne (1)
- Merrimack's offense mustered seven hits, led by a multi-hit effort by sophomore Nick Shumski
- Buckley became the seventh Warrior to hit a home run this season
Up Next
Merrimack travels to Bentley on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. to take on the Falcons in the first of three divisional games between the local rivals. Â
