Links: Box Score
ANDOVER, MASS. – Senior right-hander
Vin Zappulla put together his best outing of the season on Friday afternoon, tossing a complete game for the Merrimack College baseball team in a 5-1 Northeast Conference (NEC) win for the Warriors against Sacred Heart University. Merrimack improved to 16-19 (11-11 NEC) while the Pioneers feel to 19-12 (14-8 NEC).
After allowing a first-inning run, Zappulla threw eight shutout innings to conclude his outing. He struck out six Pioneers, needing 106 pitches to complete the appearance. He recorded his fourth win of the season in just the second complete game of his career, and first since his freshman campaign.
Offensively, Merrimack broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh via a two-out RBI single for graduate student
Nick Shumski. The Warriors then scored three insurance runs in the eighth headlined by another run-scoring single by junior
Michael Golankiewicz.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 5, Sacred Heart 1
Records: Merrimack (16-19, 11-11 NEC) | Sacred Heart (19-21, 14-8 NEC)
Location: Andover, Mass. | Warrior Diamond
Rapid Recap
- A leadoff double led to Sacred Heart's lone run of the game in the first inning. The lead runner advanced to third on a ground out, and scored on a sacrifice fly to make it a 1-0 game.
- Merrimack's offense tied the game in the bottom of the third. Graduate student Joey Porricelli drew a one-out walk, and stole second to reach scoring position. He remained on second when a grounder to short appeared to end the inning, but the play was booted by the Sacred Heart shortstop. Porricelli sprinted home to score on the play to make it a 1-1 game
- Zappulla quieted Sacred Heart from there. He benefited from strong defense in the fifth, when Porricelli dove to his left to catch a line drive at third base, and then fired on to first to double off a Sacred Heart baserunner and end the inning. Merrimack's righty then retired six of the next seven Pioneers he faced to keep things knotted at one
- Porricelli scored the go-ahead run in the seventh on another two-out play. Standing at second base, he raced home on a single through the left side by Shumski to leave the score at a 2-1 margin
- Three of Merrimack's first four batters in the eighth singled to account for the first run of the frame. With runners on the corners, senior Michael Jamele bunted down the first base line, and sophomore Alex Haba beat the throw to home to make it a 4-1 game. Two batters later and with the bases loaded, junior Ben Nelson hit a sacrifice fly to increase Merrimack's lead to 5-1
- In the ninth, Zappulla eliminated a leadoff walk with a double play to immediately create two outs in the inning. The Pioneers' next two hitters reached, but the Staten Island, N.Y. native ended the game on a fly out to center field, finishing off the complete game
Top Performers // Notes
- WP: Zappulla (4-4) | LP: Aufiero (1-1)
- The nine-inning outing increased Zappulla's career innings total to 210.1, moving to fifth on the program's all-time innings list
- He's now tied for the team lead on the season in wins with four
- Shumski enjoyed a two-hit game, adding a double. It was his 10th two-bagger of the year, setting a new career high
- Haba joined Shumski with a two-hit game
- Porricelli drew three walks from the leadoff spot in Merrimack's order
Up Next:
The Warriors celebrate Senior Day tomorrow against Sacred Heart University. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
