NEW LONDON, N.H.-The New England College baseball team set a new program record for wins in a season with a 5-4 win in 12 innings over Colby-Sawyer in 12 innings in the regular-season finale.
The win is the 22
nd on the season for NEC, which bests the previous season-best of 21 wins set during the 2012 season. The win is also the eighth-straight for the Pilgrims, which ties the program's record for consecutive wins, originally reached in the 1974 season.
The Pilgrims improve to 22-18 overall and 14-10 in the conference. Colby-Sawyer ends its season at 19-19 overall and 11-13 in the NAC. The Pilgrims have played eight extra-innings games this season, while today's contest was the second for Colby-Sawyer.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The home team struck for a run in their first at-bat whenBrendan Thurbercrossed the plate.
In the third, NEC found the equalizer on a
Conor Crouse (West Haven, Conn.)RBI single.
The Pilgrims took their first lead of the game in the top of the fourth on a
Garrett Waldron (Seffner, Fla.) single that scored Evan Delaney (Hadley, Mass.).
Colby-Sawyer quickly responded to retake the lead in the bottom half of the fourth on a two-run single byAndrew Pratt.
NEC once again tied the game in the fifth frame on an error, platingAneury Lara (Boston, Mass.).
Neither team could put across another run until to the top of the 10th when
Joe Paliotte (Warwick, R.I.) scored an unearned run on an AndrewCastano (Inwood, N.Y.) double.
The Chargers were able to extend the game by knotting the score at 4-4 after aChris Hoodsingle scoredTim Unczur.
The eventual winning run was scored by Delaney in the top of the 12th on a sac fly fromManuel Alejandro (East Hartford, Conn.).
Crouse and Delaney finished with a game-best three hits for the Pilgrims.
Thurberhad two hits to lead Colby-Sawyer.
Jameson Carey (Amherst, Mass.) earned the win for NEC after throwing the final seven innings of the game without giving up an earned run. He struck out seven.
Chris MitchellJr. went the first 5.2 innings for Colby-Sawyer and gave up three runs (two earned) on seven hits.
Michael Faziopitched the final 6.1 innings and surrendered just one earned run on seven hits.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Pilgrims have clinched the No. 2 seed in the 2017 North Atlantic Conference tournament and will take on No. 3 Lyndon at 12:30 p.m. at top-seeded Castleton on Saturday.
