Baseball Falls in Extra Innings at Assumption, 4-3

Links: Box Score

WORCESTER, Mass.  – The Merrimack College baseball program suffered a 4-3 defeat in 10 innings on Tuesday afternoon at Assumption College, playing the first contest of the three-game Northeast Division series between the Greyhounds and Warriors. The tilt was played on Assumption's campus at Rocheleau Field in Worcester, Mass.

Senior starter Cam Monagle threw seven quality innings, but did not factor in the final decision. Merrimack's offense was led by two-hit efforts for juniors Joey Porricelli and Nick Shumski along with senior William Keegan.

The Basics
Score (10 Innings): Merrimack 4, Assumption 3
Records: Merrimack (12-11, 4-1 NE Div.) 
Records: Assumption (13-11, 2-3 NE Div.)
Location: Rocheleau Field | Worcester, Mass.  

Rapid Recap

• Fresh off recognition from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association as East Regional Pitcher of the Week, Monagle proved he was worthy by throwing three scoreless innings to start his outing. The right-hander struck out two Greyhounds in each of the first two innings, and worked out of a two-on with one-out jam in the bottom of the third to keep the game scoreless
• The senior tandem of Keegan and Cory Wasylow got Merrimack on the board in the top of the fourth. The former lined a two-out double down the left field line while the latter hit a bloop single into shallow right field to make it a 1-0 game. Assumption scored in its at-bat, however, plating runs on a double and sacrifice fly to take a 2-1 lead
• More scoring occurred in the top of the fifth. Merrimack loaded the bases with no outs, and junior Thomas Joyce flipped a sacrifice fly into left that score sophomore Michael Jamele and advanced Porricelli to third base. With two outs, Merrimack executed a first-and-third play that scored Porricelli from third, giving the Warriors a 3-2 edge
• Assumption tied the game in the sixth, using a single into left field to square the game at 3-3. Monagle limited the damage there, and worked a one-two-three seventh inning to complete his outing
• Senior Riley Sorenson relieved Monagle in the eighth, and put up a zero to usher on the ninth inning. Shusmki hit a two-out single and stole second, but was stranded there to keep the game at 3-3. In the bottom half, Sorenson recorded a strikeout looking to leave two Greyhounds on base and extended the game to extras
• Joyce led the top of the tenth off with a single, but did not advance further. Sorenson appeared to have worked a one-two-three bottom half, but an error in left field extended Assumption's at-bat and placed a runner at second base. Two batters later, the Greyhounds hit a game-winning single into center, scoring the game's fourth and final run

Top Performers

• WP: Chudoba (4-3) | LP: Sorenson (2-2)
• Monagle's Final Line (ND): 7.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
• The Cambridge, Mass. native threw his fourth quality start in as many opportunities. His five strikeouts also registered as the second most across his five appearances
• Keegan recorded his second multi-hit game of the season, and second over the last three games
• Porricelli (10) and Shumski (8) ranks first and second on the team, respectively, in multi-hit efforts

Up Next:
Merrimack plays Assumption once more at Rocheleau Field on Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m., taking on the Greyhounds in a non-conference affair out in Worcester.