Links: Box Score
LANTANA, Fla.  – Sophomore
Vin Zappulla threw a season-best seven innings and the Merrimack College baseball program scored a season-high 13 runs in the Warriors' 13-3 victory over Bloomfield College on Sunday. The contest was played at the Santaluces Athletic Complex in Lantana, Fla., the first of Merrimack's seven games this week down in the Sunshine State.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 13, Bloomfield 3
Records: Merrimack (2-5) | Bloomfield (0-7)
Location: Santaluces Athletic Complex | Lantana, Fla.
Rapid Recap
- Merrimack jumped on Bloomfield early, scoring five times over the first three innings. An error enabled the Warriors to score twice in the top of the first, while another miscue led to a single run in the second. Junior Nick Shumski hit a leadoff double to start the top of the third, stole third base and scored on a wild pitch to jump start Merrimack's attack. Freshman Kurtis Stadnicki knocked in sophomore Thomas Joyce on a groundout to make it 5-0
- Zappulla retired six of the first seven batters he faced, but a leadoff double came around to score in the bottom of the third, making it a 5-1 game. The right-handed hurler recovered to sit down 12 of the final 14 Bears he faced, tossing seven quality innings on Sunday
- After scoring twice in the fifth via a two-run double by Stadnicki, the Warriors broke the game open with a four-run sixth inning. All the production came with two outs, and the big hit of the frame came off the bat of senior Matthew Ronai. The Preseason All-Region designated hitter hit a bases-clearing triple – the third three-bagger of his career – to break the contest open at 10-1. Ronai then trotted home on a wild pitch, increasing the Warriors' edge to 10 runs
- Freshman LT Pare and redshirt-freshman Evan Camilleri threw the final two innings for Merrimack; for the latter, he struck out three batters in the ninth while making his career debut. Shumski put a cap on the day offensive, driving in Merrimack's final two runs with a bases-loaded single
Top Performers
- WP: Zappulla (1-0) | LP: Rodriguez (0-1)
- Zappulla's final line (W): 7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
- Zappulla worked seven innings for his first victory of the season. He ended the day as the team's leader in innings pitched, tossing over 18 through three outings this season. His two hits allowed marked a career low among Zappulla's 12 career starts
- Ronai reached base three times, scoring a season-high three runs. Merrimack's No. 3 hitter in each game this season posted her first multi-RBI effort of the year, as well
- Four Warriors posted two-hit games: Junior Joey Porricelli, Shumski, Stadnicki and freshman Michael Golankiewicz. For the two rookies, it marked their third and first multi-hit games of the year, respectively
- Stadnicki also tied for the team lead with three RBI
- Merrimack's aggressiveness was on display Sunday; the Warriors stole a season-high five bases, with five different Warriors swiping a bag
Up Next:
Merrimack hits the diamond tomorrow afternoon at 11 a.m. back at the Santaluces Athletic Complex where the Warriors will face Southern Connecticut State. Â Â
