Links: Box Score (Game 1) |
Box Score (Game 2)
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Completing its first of two trips to the Sunshine State in 2019, the Merrimack College baseball program dropped a pair of games on Sunday afternoon against Davenport University from Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Fla. The Warriors lost the first contest, 18-2, before mounting a seventh-inning rally in the finale that ultimately was won by the Panthers, 11-7. Â
The Basics
Score (G1): Davenport 18,
Merrimack 2
Score (G2): Davenport 11,
Merrimack 7
Records: Merrimack (0-3) | Davenport (5-0)
Location: Chain of Lakes Park | Winter Haven, Fla.
Rapid Recap (Game 1):
- Sophomore Timmy Kalantzakos took the ball for Merrimack in game one, making his first start of the season. Davenport got to him early, scoring twice on a pair of passed balls to take a 2-0 lead
- Juniors Joey Porricelli and Nick Shumski combined to get one run back. The former drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first, stole second and came around to score on the latter's RBI single. Classmate Thomas Joyce drove in Shumski with a RBI single later in the first, tying the game at 2-2 through one frame
- Davenport chased Kalantzakos in the top of the third, plating six runs to take an 8-2 lead into the fourth inning. The Panthers added a solo home run in the top of the fourth to increase their lead to seven
- The Panthers would get to Merrimack's bullpen in the later innings, finishing the opener with 18 total runs
Rapid Recap (Game 2):
- Davenport served as the home team in the second tilt, and scored twice in the bottom of the first off freshman Sean Thompson, who made his first collegiate start. The Warriors' bats came to the aide of their rookie immediately, however, as freshman Ben Nelson hit a one-out single, advanced to second when senior Cory Wasylow was hit by a pitch and both Warriors scored on a RBI double by sophomore Michael Jamele.
- The Panthers tacked on one more run off Thompson, before he was relieved by senior Riley Sorenson. The captain was an out of away from a scoreless first inning of work, but Davenport notched consecutive two-out singles to score three runs, and took a 6-2 lead
- Sorensen was chased from the game in the fifth, and was replaced by classmate Trevor Cooley. Davenport ended up increasing its run total to 11 by the end of the sixth, ushering on Merrimack's final chance to attempt a comeback
- The Warriors answered with a two-out rally. Jamele kept the game going with his third extra-base hit of the afternoon, and scored on a RBI single by Porricelli. Two walks loaded the bases and Joyce smacked a two-run single that brought Merrimack within five, 11-6. Freshman Kurtis Stadnicki notched a RBI base hit to pull the Warriors within four, but the comeback attempt halted there
Notes and Notables (Game 1):
- WP – Marquardt (2-0) | LP – Kalantzakos (0-1)
- Kalantzakos' Final Line (L): 2.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
- Joyce posted his first multi-hit game of the season while senior William Keegan made his first start of the year and notched Merrimack's long extra-base hit
- Porricelli swiped the team's first stolen base of the year, after ranking second on the team with 29 steals last season
- After not pitching all of last year, junior Dylan Stevens tossed a clean inning of relief with a pair of strikeouts in his first appearance since 2017
Notes and Notables (Game 2)
- WP – Turner (2-0) | LP – Thompson (0-1)
- Thompson's Final Line (L): 3.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 4 K
- Jamele shined for the Warriors in the No. 9 spot in the lineup, setting career highs in hits (3), doubles (3), RBI (2) and runs scored (2).
- Joyce and Porricelli joined Jamele by knocking in a pair of runs each
- Freshman Michael Golankiewicz joined Nelson in taking his first collegiate plate appearances in Sunday's second game
Up Next
Merrimack plays a pair of doubleheaders next weekend at Shippensburg (March 2) and at Shepherd (March 3). Â
