Links: Box Score (Game 1) |
Box Score (Game 2)
NORTHBOROUGH, MASS. – Four different hitters clubbed home runs on Friday for the Merrimack College baseball program as the Warriors avenged a 7-5 loss in their opener against Saint Michael's College with a 9-3 victory in the second tilt during the teams' NE10 doubleheader. The first two contests of the three-game Northeast Division series were played at the New England Baseball Complex in Northborough, Mass.; the Warriors and Purple Knights return to the NEBC on Monday afternoon (12 p.m.) for the rubber contest.
Four of Merrimack's five runs in the first game came via the round-tripper as juniors
Joey Porricelli,
Thomas Joyce as well as senior
William Keegan all went yard. Sophomore
Thomas Crowley then capped a 9-0 start to Friday's finale with his first career homer, one of the three-run variety. On the mound, sophomore
Timmy Kalantzakos impressed once more with his eight consecutive quality start in Merrimack's victory to improve to 6-1 on the season. The six victories marked the most for a Warriors hurler since 2016.
Merrimack began the day in first place in the Northeast Division, and finished it on top as the Warriors maintained a half-game lead over No. 4 Southern New Hampshire. The Warriors have won eight of their last nine games and 12 of their last 15 overall.
The Basics
Score (G1): Saint Michael's 7,
Merrimack 5
Score (G2): Merrimack 9, Saint Michael's 3
Records: Merrimack (20-13, 9-2 NE Div.) | Saint Michael's (8-20, 3-9 NE Div.)
Location: New England Baseball Complex | Northborough, Mass.
Rapid Recap (Game 1):
- Porricelli led off the bottom of the first with a triple, but the Warriors were unable to capitalize. The Purple Knights took advantage of a leadoff double, scoring its first run in the top of the second on a two-out single to move ahead, 1-0. Sophomore Vin Zappulla recorded five strikeouts over the first two innings, as well
- Saint Michael's added one run in the top of the fourth, but an impressive defensive play by Joyce limited the damage there. With runners on the corners and two outs, the first baseman made an outstretched catch on a line drive over the first base bag to end the frame
- The long ball got Merrimack back in the game. Solo homers for Porricelli and Keegan in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively, tied the game at 2-2. The Purple Knights, however, answered back in the top of the seventh with another two-out run to move back in front, 3-2
- A three-run eighth inning appeared to give the Warriors all the momentum they needed. Joyce drove a ball over the fence in left-center field to give the Warriors a 4-3 advantage. Two batters later and with runners on the corners, Keegan legged out a fielder's choice to prevent a double play, allowing senior Matthew Ronai to touch home for the Warriors' fifth run
- Saint Michael's rallied in the ninth. Senior Trevor Cooley threw a clean eighth inning, but saw the first two runners he faced reach in the ninth. Classmate Riley Sorenson relieved him, but allowed the first batter he faced to hit a homer to straightaway center field, giving the Purple Knights a 6-5 edge
- The visitors tacked on an insurance marker as well, but the Warriors put two runners on with two outs in the bottom half to bring the potential game-winning run to bat. The contest ended there, however, with a fly out to left that gave the Purple Knights the win
Rapid Recap (Game 2):
- Merrimack jumped on Saint Michael's early, scoring nine time over the first two innings. Joyce drove in Porricelli – who led the game off with a double – with a single to immediately make it a 1-0 contest. A run-scoring groundout followed by a passed ball gave the Warriors their next two runs and a 3-0 lead
- Five of Merrimack's six runs in the second came with two outs. Porricelli drove in sophomore Michael Jamele with one out for Merrimack's fourth run. With two outs and junior Nick Shumski on first, Merrimack executed a hit-and-run play where Shumski scored all the way from first on a double by Joyce. The Newton, Mass. native scored two batters later on a pass ball, and Crowley completed the scoring with his first career homer, launching a three-run shot into left field. When all was said and done, the Warriors held a 9-0 advantage
- Outside of a two-run blimp of the radar in the third inning, Kalantzakos stymied the Purple Knights over eight innings. The Andover, Mass. native recorded his eighth consecutive quality start, tying his career high with 11 strikeouts for the second consecutive outing
Notes and Notables (Game 1):
- WP – Cuellar (2-0) | LP – Sorenson (2-3) | S: Allen (2)
- Zappulla's Final Line (ND): 7.0 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 10 K
- Zappulla enjoyed his most prolific performance ever in terms of strikeouts; the Staten Island, N.Y. native posted a single-game career high with 10 K's, which also gave the sophomore a new season career best with 46 this season
- The junior trio of Porricelli, Shumski and Joyce all enjoyed team-best two-hit days from the No. 1-3 spots in Merrimack's order, respectively. Porricelli posted both a triple and homer while Joyce went deep as well
- Porricelli's homer was his team-leading fifth, while Joyce clubbed his career-high fourth of the year and 10th of his career. Joyce is the eighth player in school history to hit at least 10 career home runs
- Keegan joined Joyce with a multi-RBI day as well, knocking in seven runs over his last three contests
Notes and Notables (Game 2)
- WP – Kalantzakos (6-1) | LP – Mendez (0-3)
- Kalantzakos' Final Line (W): 8.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 11 K
- Kalantzakos threw eight innings for the fourth straight outing, and has at least eight punch outs in each of those contests. The right-handed hurler increased his quality-start streak to eight, as well
- Porricelli reached base in all five of his at-bats from the leadoff spot, totaling three hits while being hit twice. The third baseman swiped a career-high four bases, part of a season-high eight stolen bases for the Warriors
- Crowley enjoyed one of the best games of his career, totaling two knocks including his first career homer. The catcher tied his career high with three RBI, posting his sixth multi-RBI game of the season
- Ronai finished the day with one hit in each game, climbing within three base knocks of becoming the sixth player in school history with 200 career hits
Up Next
The Warriors return to the New England Baseball Complex on Monday for their series finale against the Purple Knights. First pitch of the series-deciding contest is set for 12 p.m.
