Links: Box Score
Video: Highlights
NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – The Merrimack College baseball team scored nine runs over its final three at-bats – including a four-run 10
th inning to break a 10-10 tie – to record a 14-10 win over Central Connecticut State University in Northeast Conference (NEC) action on Friday afternoon. The victory at the CCSU Baseball Field marked the program's first-ever win against the defending NEC champions.
Merrimack jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, only to see Central Connecticut recover to build a 9-5 advantage entering the top of the eighth. The visitors scored five runs in the eighth including a two-run double for graduate student
Nick Shumski that left the Warriors with a 10-9 lead. Even though the Blue Devils tied the game in the bottom of the ninth, Merrimack's offense grabbed the lead right back in the 10
th. Freshman
Bryant Skurbe along with juniors
Kurtis Stadnicki and
Michael Golankiewicz all recorded RBI in extra innings to vault Merrimack in front for good.
Sixth-year lefty
Daniel Amidon recorded the win in the series opener, the first of three this weekend between Merrimack and CCSU. The series will conclude with a doubleheader tomorrow beginning at 11:30 a.m.; the series was adjusted to include a doubleheader on Saturday to account for the rain in the forecast on Sunday.
The Basics
Score (10 Innings): Merrimack 14, CCSU 10
Records: Merrimack (9-11, 5-5 NEC) | CCSU (10-6, 7-3 NEC)
Location: New Britain, Conn. | CCSU
Rapid Recap
- After an onslaught on Wednesday at Holy Cross, the Warriors picked up right where they left off. With a runner on first, Shumski hit a two-run homer to stake Merrimack to a 2-0 lead. In the top of the second, classmate Joey Porricelli matched him with a two-run round-tripper of his own to increase Merrimack's lead to four
- The Blue Devils scored three runs in the bottom of second. Senior Michael Jamele drove it one with a bases-loaded single to bring the Warriors' lead back to two, 5-3, but the hosts pushed two runs across in the bottom of the fourth to even the score at five runs apiece
- Senior starter Vin Zappulla worked through the fifth inning, allowing just three earned runs with five strikeouts. In the bottom of the sixth, CCSU scored off Merrimack's bullpen to take its first lead of the game, 7-5. The Blue Devils would load the bases while facing senior Timmy Kalantzakos, but the righty induced an inning-ending double play to escape further damage
- The top of the eighth arrived with the Warriors facing a 9-5 hole. The first three batters in the inning reached via two singles and an error to load the bases. Jamele was then hit by a pitch to account for the first run of the frame. Porricelli followed with a RBI single, Shumski tied the game with a two-run double, and Skurbe contributed a RBI groundout that plated the go-ahead run. Merrimack's lead rested at 10-9 going to the bottom of the eighth
- With runners on second and third with two outs, Amidon entered and stranded a pair via a strikeout looking. In the bottom of the ninth, Central tied the game, however, off an infield single to force extra innings
- In the top of the tenth, Skurbe dug in with Porricelli standing on third and Shumski at first with one down. The rookie hit a sharp grounder down the line for a double that scored Porricelli to make it an 11-10 game. Stadnicki lined a single to center that plated Skurbe, and later in the inning with the bases loaded, Golankewicz lined an opposite-field single to score two more.
- Sophomore Justin Butera entered in the bottom half and retired three straight after a leadoff walk to end the game
Top Performers // Notes
- WP: Amidon (1-4) | LP: Niman (0-1)
- Porricelli became the fourth different Warrior with a four-hit game this season. He now leads the lead with seven multi-hit games on the year, and increased his hitting streak to nine games
- He finished the game with four hits, three RBI and three runs scored; the homer was his team-leading fifth of the season
- Porricelli increased his career hits total to 229, needing three more to set a new program record. He also drove in his 100th a career run
- Shumski drove in four more runs. He now has 10 RBI over his last two games
- Golankiewicz set a new career best with four hits
- Five different Warriors drove in at least two runs
Up Next:
The Warriors and Blue Devils meet for a doubleheader at the CCSU Baseball Field beginning at 11:30 a.m.
