HENNIKER, N.H.-Sophomore Evan Delaney (Hadley, Mass.) hit a home run in each game to lead the New England College baseball team to a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) sweep over Colby-Sawyer on Senior Day.
The final score for game one was 11-4, while game two was 8-1. The wins bring NEC to 16-18 on the season and 8-10 in NAC play, while Colby-Sawyer falls to 18-16 overall and 10-8 in the league.
GAME ONE: NEC 11, COLBY-SAWYER 4
The Pilgrims plated a run in the bottom of the first but really broke things open in the bottom of the third, when Delaney cranked a dead-center three-run homerun to put NEC up 6-0.
NEC would tack on five more runs in the fifth as they compiled
Jeam Castillo (Lynn, Mass.),
Joe Paliotte (Warwick, R.I.), and Manuel Alejandro (East Hartford, Conn.) all had RBI-singles and Lara plated a run on double-play attempt that got the out at second.
Freshman
Stanley Vargas (Boston, Mass.) faced just four batters over the minimum through six innings, scattering three hits and two hit batters while fanning five to earn his third win of the season.
Colby-Sawyer took advantage of NEC field substitutions in the top of the seventh to plate four runs on two hits and an error.
Starting third baseman Jameson Carey (Amherst, Mass.) and catcher Alejandro both went 2-for-3 at the plate. Delaney finished 1-for-3 with three RBI and two runs. The Pilgrims totaled nine hits in the win.
Colby-Sawyer was led offensively by Brendan Thurber (Ashland, Mass.), who had two of the Chargers' five hits.
Jake Greaney (Groveland, Mass.) took the loss, scattering nine hits, nine earned runs, and three walks over five innings of work. Quincy Logan (Houston, Texas) fanned all three batters he faced in the sixth.
GAME TWO: NEC 8, COLBY-SAWYER 1
The Pilgrims used the momentum of a 1-2-3 top to spark a strong bottom of the first inning.
Conor Crouse (West Haven, Conn.), Carey, and Luis Atiles (Dorchester, Mass.) all reached to load the bases, setting up Delaney for a grand slam to left-center for a 4-0 lead.
NEC added another run in the bottom of the fifth as Carey opened with a single, took second and third on a throwing error by Colby-Sawyer's third baseman, and scored as Atiles was caught stealing at second base.
Colby-Sawyer scored in the top of the sixth as Jackson Musco (Litchfield, Mass.) opened the inning with a single and came around on a triple by Tom Unczur (Danvers, Mass.) to break up the shutout.
NEC used three hits and an error to score three runs in the bottom of the sixth en route to the 8-1 victory.
Senior
Vincent Backert (Shelton, Conn.) earned the win on the mound, scattering four hits over 6.2 innings before giving way to
Kyle Bernier (Rochester, N.H.), who came in to get the final out of the game.
Both Crouse and Castillo had two hits apiece for NEC. The Pilgrims tallied nine hits in the win. Castillo, Paliotte, and Alejandro all had doubles.
SENIOR DAY
Prior to first pitch, the program recognized seven seniors playing in their final home game-Backert, Bernier, Crouse, Jacob Dotson (Glastonbury, Conn.),
Justin Hopkins (Pittsfield, Mass.),
Tomas Pueyo Jr (Caracas, Venezuela), and
Jonathan Rivera (Trenton, N.J.).
WHAT'S NEXT
Both teams will meet again on Wednesday for the conclusion of their four-game NAC series. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Colby-Sawyer.
