Links: Box Score
LANTANA, Fla. – After a pitcher's duel left the Merrimack College baseball program trailing by a single run, 2-1, entering the bottom of the eight, junior
Joey Porricelli produced one of the biggest moments of the young season for the Merrimack College baseball program. Batting with the bases loaded and two outs, Porricelli roped a three-run triple that gave the Warriors their first lead since the top of the second over Caldwell University, 4-2. Senior
Riley Sorenson entered in the top of the ninth and threw a perfect frame for his first career save, securing the Merrimack victory from the Santaluces Athletic Complex.
With the win, the Warriors picked up their fourth win in six games and improved their record down in Florida to 3-1 including a perfect 3-0 against regional competition. The Cougars fell to 2-4 on the year.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 4, Caldwell 2
Records: Merrimack (4-6) | Caldwell (2-4)
Location: Santaluces Athletic Complex | Lantana, Fla.
Rapid Recap
- Freshman Sean Thompson made his third start of the season for the Warriors and delivered his best career outing. After a one-two-three first inning, the Warriors tacked on a run in the bottom half. Senior Matthew Ronai drew a two-out walk, and scored all the way from first on a bloop double by junior Thomas Joyce to put Merrimack in front, 1-0. Caldwell answered in the top of the second, however, using three straight two-out singles to even the score, 1-1
- The contest became a pitcher's duel as neither team scored again until the seventh inning. The top of the fourth saw sophomore catcher Thomas Crowley throw out a pair of runners trying to steal to prevent a big Caldwell inning. In the sixth, Thompson punched out two Cougars while Crowley gunned down another runner steals to keep the score at 1-1
- With runners on first and third and two outs, Caldwell scored in the top of the seventh. The Cougars executed a first-and-third play with both runners advancing safely to make it a 2-1 game. Thompson limited the damage there, inducing a comebacker that ended the inning
- After a clean eighth inning for sophomore reliever Jake Thibault, the Warriors rallied in the bottom half. Senior William Keegan and Crowley drew consecutive walks to start the inning, and sophomore Michael Jamele walked after two strikeouts to load the bases for Porricelli. The all-conference selected scored all three, depositing a triple into the outfield that proved to be the game-winning hit
- Sorenson faced the minimum in his one inning of work, retiring the first three batters he faced to record for first save of the season for the Warriors
Top Performers
- WP: Thibault (1-1) | LP: Lehman (0-1) | S: Sorenson (1)
- Thompson's final line (ND): 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
- Porricelli's game-winning hit marked his team-leading five extra-base hit of the season and first triple of the year. The junior increased his team lead in RBI to 15, which is seven more than the next closest Warrior
- Sorenson became the sixth different Warrior on Merrimack's current roster to own at least one career save
- Thompson moved into the team lead in strikeouts with a career-high eight strikeouts. He did not allowed an earned run over seven innings over work
- Jamele posted a 3-for-3 effort at the dish, increasing his team-leading average to .382. He a trio of three-hit games this year to lead Merrimack
Up Next:
Merrimack plays its first of two games against Adelphi this week tomorrow morning from the Lynn University Baseball Field in Boca Raton, Fla. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.
