Links: Box Score
ANDOVER, Mass. – Behind strong pitching performances from graduate student
Riley Sorenson and senior
Jake Thibault, the Merrimack College baseball team won on Sunday afternoon, 3-1, over the University of Massachusetts. Sorenson scattered two hits over six innings, allowing just one unearned run. Thibault then threw three innings of hitless relief to record the save.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 3, UMass 1
Records: Merrimack (3-5) | UMass (4-3)
Location: Greater Lawrence Technical School | Andover, Mass. Â Â Â Â
Rapid Recap
- The Warriors used plate discipline to grab a 2-0 lead through one inning. Merrimack drew three walks in the bottom of the first – including a bases-loaded freebie for junior Kurtis Stadnicki – to enable the run scoring. Senior Thomas Crowley added an RBI groundout to account for the second run
- UMass added one run in the top of the third, but the Warriors matched that in the bottom half. With one out, Stadnicki drew another walk and advanced to scoring position following a single by Crowley. Graduate student Thomas Joyce then dug in, hitting a single that plated Stadnicki to give Merrimack its two-run lead back
- Sorenson did not allow a run the rest of his outing. The Minutemen loaded the bases in the fifth with two outs, but Merrimack's veteran right-hander induced a chopper to the mound to escape the jam. He then posted a perfect sixth inning to end his outing
- Outside of an error with two outs in the ninth inning, the visitors did not have another batter reach base. Thibault retired the first eight batters he faced across the seventh and ninth frames, concluding the contest with a grounder to short with UMass' lone runner failing to advance beyond first
Top Performers // Notes
- WP: Sorenson (2-0) | LP: Dalton (1-1) | S: Thibault (1)
- Graduate student Joey Porricelli stole his first two bases of the season, tying the program record with 74 thefts in his career
- Merrimack drew a season-high seven walks on Sunday. As a team, the Warriors boast a .329 on-base percentage through eight games
- Crowley enjoyed his best performance of the season, leading Merrimack with three hits
- Thibault has been phenomenal out of the bullpen for Merrimack dating back to last spring. Since the abbreviated 2020 season, the Methuen, Mass. native has thrown 20.0 innings over his last eight relief appearances, allowing just three earned runs with 13 strikeouts for a 1.35 ERA
Up Next:
Merrimack visits Boston College in Brighton, Mass. on Tuesday afternoon. First pitch from the Harrington Athletics Complex is set for 3 p.m.
