Links: Box Score (Game 1) |
Box Score (Game 2)
Video: Highlights (Game 1) |
Highlights (Game 2)
TEANECK, N.J. – Overcoming a stumble in its series opener at Fairleigh Dickinson University on Friday, the Merrimack College baseball team swept the Knights on Saturday, 7-6 and 7-2, in a Northeast Conference (NEC) doubleheader played at FDU's Naimoli Family Baseball Complex. The wins improved Merrimack's record to 14-16 (10-8 NEC), and gave the Warriors their fourth NEC series win of the spring.
In the day's first game, Merrimack trailed by two, 5-3, entering the seventh inning. After tying the game at five in the seventh, junior
Ben Nelson had the game-winning hit in the eighth, driving a 3-2 pitch down the left field line for a double, knocking in a pair of runs. In the ninth, sophomore
Justin Butera collected his third save of the year to preserve the one-run win.
Junior
Wyatt Villella started the second tilt for Merrimack, throwing a career-long outing of 7.2 innings while relenting just a pair of runs to earn the first victory of his collegiate career. The third-year right-hander needed 99 pitches to nearly work through eight full innings, striking out five Knights. Offensively, four hitters enjoyed multi-hit games in the second contest while graduate student
Nick Shumski and sophomore
Jake Macchi knocked in a pair of runs each.
The Basics
Score (G1): Merrimack 7, FDU 6
Score (G2): Merrimack 7, FDU 2
Records: Merrimack (14-16, 10-8 NEC) | FDU (6-18, 5-13 NEC)
Location: Teaneck, N.J. | Naimoli Family Baseball Complex
Rapid Recap (Game 1):
- Graduate student Riley Sorenson started the opener, and threw four scoreless innings to start the day. In the top of the fourth, Merrimack loaded the bases with one out and scored two runs on a fielder's choice. Junior Kurtis Stadnicki hit a grounder to shortstop that resulted in one out, but he beat the throw at first to keep the inning alive. On the play, junior Michael Golankiewicz scored from third and Shumski scored from second too as bobble at the plate allowed Merrimack's shortstop to touch home safely
- The Warriors added a third run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly from graduate student Joey Porricelli that plated sophomore Braydon Dolbashian. FDU answered with its first score in the bottom half, making it a 3-1 game following a two-out RBI single
- Sorenson ran into trouble in the sixth. The first three batters reached for FDU, and a bases-loaded sacrifice fly made it a one-run game. The veteran righty nearly escaped the jam, but with two outs the Knights hit a three-run homer that gave the hosts a 5-3 lead
- Merrimack's offense kept battling though. The Warriors immediately tied the game in the top of the seventh, scoring on a RBI single by senior Michael Jamele and a sacrifice fly by Golankiewicz to even the score at five runs apiece
- The Warriors kept the rally going in the eighth. Two hit batsmen and a walk loaded the bases for the visitors with one out as Nelson dug in. The second baseman worked his count full before lining a two-run double down the left field line, leaving Merrimack with a 7-5 lead
- Despite allowing one run in the eighth, senior reliever Timmy Kalantzakos notched the win while Butera ended the game with a strikeout swinging to grab the save
Rapid Recap (Game 2):
- Merrimack immediately put two runs on the board to start game two. Joyce knocked in the first on a bloop single, and Macchi drove in the second on a run-scoring fielder's choice to make it a 2-0 game for Villella
- Villella answered the bell, allowing just one run over his first five innings of work. He sat down the Knights in order twice during that span too
- Merrimack's offense tacked on runs for him in the sixth. The Warriors mounted a two-out attack after their first two batters were retired in the inning. Jamele, Porricelli and Golankiewicz reached consecutively to put a runner on every bag. The first two – Jamelle and Porricelli – then touched home on a double by Shumski to make it a 4-1 game
- Villella allowed one run in the eighth, but retired two Knights to finish his outing after 7.2 frames of work. Senior reliever Jake Thibault came out of the bullpen and ended the inning on the first pitch he threw to keep the score at 4-2
- Three insurance runs crossed the plate for Merrimack in the ninth. More two-out magic occurred as after the first two Warriors were retired on four pitches, Joyce hit a double that extended the inning. Macchi entered the box and hit an opposite field single that made it a 5-2 game. Classmate Scott Elliott followed with a single to put runners on first and second, and both Warriors scored when Nelson hit a single into center field
- Thibault needed just seven pitches in the ninth to complete a perfect outing of relief
Notes and Notables (Game 1):
- WP – Kalantzakos (1-0) | LP – Rembish (0-3) | S: Butera (3)
- Nelson's double was the lone extra-base hit of the day for Merrimack, and it was the first career double for the third-year infielder.
- The bottom of Merrimack's order led the way offensively as spots No. 6-9 in the order went 5-for-13 (.384) with four runs scored and three RBI combined
- Jamele posted the lone two-hit game of the day for Merrimack
- Graduate student Thomas Joyce drew one walk, the 89th base on balls in his career to set a new program record
Notes and Notables (Game 2)
- WP – Villella (1-2) | LP – Donlon (0-1)
- Making his fifth career start, Villella threw more innings (7.2) and pitches (99) that he ever has before. The Hollywood, Fla. native struck out five Knights in the outing to earn the first win of his career
- Golankiewicz, Shumski, Joyce and Nelson also finished with two hits
- Both of Shumski's hits were doubles. He now leads the team with eight on the year. He also moved into a tie for the team lead with 24 RBI on the year
Up Next
Merrimack hosts Mount St. Mary's from a three-game series next weekend beginning on Friday at 3 p.m. in Andover, Mass.
