HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – The Merrimack College baseball team earned its first victory in over two weeks on Friday afternoon, beating Hofstra University 10-0. The shutout was the first of the season for the Warriors.
Michael Golankiewicz hit his first grand slam of the season in the fifth inning to give Merrimack a much-needed four run advantage heading into the rest of the game. After the fifth, the Warriors scored in every inning besides the ninth. Merrimack starter
Wyatt Villella tossed seven strong innings. The senior gave up six hits, zero runs and struck out three on his way to his first victory of the season.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 10, Hofstra 0
Records: Merrimack (3-8-1) | Hofstra (7-6)
Location: Hempstead, N.Y. | University Field
Rapid Recap
- Both teams went down in order in the first. Villella struck out the last Pride batter for his first of the afternoon. In the second, Hofstra opened the inning with a single, but was quickly forgotten about after three straight outs. Tiernan Lynch doubled with one out in the third. He advanced to third after a wild pitch. The Warriors could not get him home, keeping the game tied a zero. Villella got the Pride to go down in order in the bottom half of the third. Golankiewicz worked a free pass with one down in the fourth. Andrew Selima was then hit by a pitch, putting runners on first and second. The next two Merrimack batters went down in order keeping the game at zero.
- In inning number five Lynch singled with one out. Scott Elliott drew a walk in the next at bat putting runners on first and second. Alex Haba then singled advancing all of the runners a base, loading them up. Golankiewicz then stepped up to the plate and hit his second home run of the season and first grand slam, giving the Warriors a four-run lead. Stephen Santarpia doubled to lead off the sixth. Bryant Skurbe drew a walk and then Kurtis Stadnicki laid down a bunt single to load the bases once again. Lynch drew a walk to score a run. Elliott then singled up the middle and scored two runs, making the Merrimack total seven. A Skurbe single and Stadnicki fielder's choice added two more runs for the Warriors in the top half of the seventh. Haba opened the eighth with a double to left, followed by a Ben Nelson single that scored him from second. Timmy Kalantzakos and Peyton Heisner pitched the eighth and ninth for the Warriors and did not let up a hit.
Top Performers // Notes
- WP: Villella (1-2) | LP: Nemjo (0-2)
- The Warriors ten run road win is the biggest away victory that the squad has had since the 2019 season.
- Merrimack makes it two games in a row without committing an error.
Up Next:
With some weather in the forecast for Saturday, the Warriors will play two games on Sunday. The first will start at 11 a.m. against Hofstra and the second will be plated after against Manhattan College.
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