Shumski Dominates at the Dish; Baseball Downs LIU in Season Finale

Links: Box Score

BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – Nick Shumski completed a torrid two days at the plate Saturday afternoon at LIU Baseball Stadium, as he had three hits and drove in three runs to push the Warriors past the Sharks, 5-3, in the season finale.  

The graduate student staked the Warriors to their first lead of the day in the fifth with a single that drove in Alex Haba, then knocked in a pair in the seventh with another base hit.

Wyatt Villella got the nod on the bump and did not disappoint. He notched his second victory of the year after he went six innings, allowed six hits, one run and punched out half a dozen. The combination of Cedric Gillette and Justin Butera closed the door out of the bullpen, as Merrimack held on for the two-run decision.

The Basics
Score: Merrimack 5, LIU 3
Records: Merrimack (19-22) | LIU (20-13)
Location: Brookville, N.Y. | LIU Baseball Stadium  

Rapid Recap

• On the hunt for the series sweep, the Sharks took an early lead, as they scored in the first to take a 1-0 lead.
• Merrimack did not sit back, as it leveled the score just half an inning later. Kurtis Stadnicki got the Warrior offense started with a leadoff single up the middle, then he advanced to third on a base hit to right from Braydon Dolbashian. With one out, Stadnicki was able to score on a ground out to second by Michael Golankiewicz to knot the teams at one.
• Villella settled in after the first and allowed just two baserunners in the following three innings to give Merrimack the chance to take the lead.
• The Warriors picked up their starter in the fifth with a two-out rally. Haba nearly went to the downs on the first pitch he saw when he had a ground-rule double to left center, then he scored after Shumski drove him in with a single to left.
• Villella kept LIU in check during the fifth and sixth to complete his outing, then Merrimack opened up the game in the seventh.
• Golankiewicz drew a leadoff walk, then advanced to second after Joey Porricelli had a base on balls with one out. Haba then drove a ball down the left field line for a double that scored Golankiewicz. After a pitching change, Shumski did it again when his single brought a pair home to make it 5-1.
• LIU looked to stage a comeback in the final three innings, as it got one in the seventh and another in the ninth, but a line out with a runner on in the ninth clinched the win for the visitors.

Top Performers // Notes

• WP: Wyatt Villella (2-4) | LP: Mike Lazos (7-1)
• Thomas Joyce drew a walk in the fourth for his 100th career base on balls. No one else in Warrior history has reached that milestone.
• Shumski was tough to get out all weekend, as he completed his second straight three-hit game Saturday.
• Porricelli won the team batting title on the season with a .308 average. He also topped the Warriors in runs (42), OPS (1.002), on-base percentage (.461), hits (45), home runs (7) and total bases (79).
• Villella improved his season ERA to 5.33 with the outing, which finished as the fifth-best on the team.

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