shumski-bsb-hitting
14
Merrimack MER 5-3
15
Winner Michigan State MSU 5-3
Merrimack MER
5-3
14
Final
15
Michigan State MSU
5-3
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
Merrimack MER 0 0 2 0 4 0 7 0 1 0 14 16 4
Michigan State MSU 0 2 6 2 1 0 3 0 0 1 15 13 2

W: Martin,Brian (1-0) L: Thibault, Jake (1-2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball Overcomes Deficit, Nearly Sweeps Michigan State

Links: Box Score

GREENVILLE, S.C.  – Trailing by deficits of 10-2 and 11-6 through the early portions of Sunday's game, the Merrimack College baseball program used a seven-run top of the seventh to take a 13-11 lead in its attempt to sweep Michigan State University. The Spartans scored three runs in the bottom half to retake the lead, but the Warriors responded with a run in the top of the ninth to force extra innings. Michigan State had the last laugh, however, winning the game on a solo homer in the bottom of the 10th.

Merrimack emerged from the weekend with a 5-3 overall record, winning three of four games against the Spartans. The Warriors have the most wins of any Northeast Conference (NEC) team through the first two weekends of the regular season.

The Basics
Score (10 Innings): Michigan State 15, Merrimack 14
Records: Merrimack (5-3) | Michigan State (5-3)
Location: Fluor Field | Greenville, S.C.   

Rapid Recap
  • Michigan State and Merrimack scored two runs each in the bottom of the second and top of the third; the Warriors' runs came off the bats of senior Thomas Joyce and sophomore Kurtis Stadnicki. Aided by four extra base hits, Michigan State scored six times in the bottom of the third to take an 8-2 lead
  • With the score at 10-2, Merrimack scored four times in the top of the fifth. Senior Nick Shumski drove in the first with a double, plating classmate Joey Porricelli and freshman Alex Haba. Later in the inning, Stadnicki hit a triple to score one and junior Thomas Crowley brought him in with a RBI groundout to leave the score at 10-6
  • The Spartans scored once more to create an 11-6 margin entering the seventh. Merrimack proceeded to send 12 men to the plate as part of the seven-run barrage. Graduate student Cory Wasylow started the scoring with a single, Porricelli and Shumski both delivered a pair of two-run singles and Stadnicki knocked in the last run to put the Warriors ahead, 13-11
  • The first four batters in the bottom of the seventh reached for Michigan State, resulting in a 14-13 advantage for the Spartans. Merrimack manufactured the game-tying run. Porricelli hit a leadoff single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Shumski, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly from Joyce
  • After coming on in the seventh to hold Michigan State to three runs and tossing scoreless frames in the eighth and ninth, the Spartans finally got to junior Jake Thibault with a solo homer in the bottom of the 10th
Top Performers // Notes
  • WP: Martin (1-0) | LP: Thibault (1-2)
  • Merrimack set season highs in runs (14), hits (16), RBI (13) and walks (8)
  • The trio of Porricelli, Shumski and Stadnicki combined for 10 of Merrimack's 14 base knocks. Shumski and Stadnicki both tied their career highs in hits
  • Redshirt freshman pitcher Brayden Howrigan and freshman hurler Michael Bean made their Merrimack debuts on the mound
Up Next:
Merrimack plays a three-game series at Wofford next weekend with single games on Friday (6 p.m.), Saturday (2 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.) on the docket down in Spartanburg, S.C.  

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