HENNIKER, N.H.-The New England College baseball team split a pair of one-run North Atlantic Conference (NAC) games with Lyndon State College on Saturday afternoon, winning game one 2-1 and falling 5-4 in game two.
With today's split NEC moves to 209- overall and 9-5 in the NAC, while Lyndon now sits at 10-14 overall and 6-4 in league play.
GAME ONE: NEC 2, LYNDON 1
After three scoreless innings, Lyndon's Codi Smith reached on an error in the top of the fourth, advancing all the way to third as the ball bounced past first base. Smith would come in to score on an RBI groundout by Zack Johnson.
Lyndon's lead was short-lived, as the Pilgrims tied the game at one apiece with a lead-off home run by
Justin Carey (Amherst, Mass.) in the bottom of the fourth. NEC would score one more in the inning when Xavier Nunez (Lawrence, Mass.) walked and advanced to second on a failed pick-off attempt. He moved to third on a groundout and scored on a single by Luis Atiles (Dorchester, Mass.).
Junior pitcher
Nick Powers (Malden, Mass.) went the distance for the Pilgrims, scattering three hits, three walks and eight strikeouts over seven innings.
Davis Guyer took the loss for Lyndon, giving up both runs, three hits and a walk with three strikeouts through four innings. Ben Rollins faced just one batter over the minimum in two innings of relief.
GAME TWO: LYNDON 5, NEC 4
Lyndon opened game two with a two-run first inning on a two-RBI double by Eason.
NEC quickly put themselves on the board, as Evan Delaney (Hadley, Mass.) led off with a home run to center field. The Pilgrims added a second run when, with runners on first and third, Xavier Nunez worked himself into a rundown to give
Justin Carey the opportunity to score from third to tie the game at two runs apiece.
The Pilgrims took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the second when Delaney reached on a walk, took second on a single up the middle by
Christian Aybar (Pawtucket, R.I.), and scored on a single to left field by
Justin Carey. The Pilgrims had a chance for more with two runners on, but Nunez grounded out to the first baseman to end the inning.
The Hornets loaded the bases in the top of the third with two outs, but pitcher
Shayne Audet (Springfield, Mass.) threw a high strike with a 3-2 count for his sixth strikeout of the game.
Lyndon capitalized on two NEC errors to score two runs in the top of the fourth to reclaim the one-run lead.
After two scoreless innings, the Hornets scored their fifth run in the top of the seventh after the leadoff batter singled and scored from first on a double to center field by Ben Rollins.
The Pilgrims scored one run in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single by
Stanley Vargas (Boston, Mass.). The next batter,
Connor Morin (North Andover, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs, but the game ended on a high popup to short stop.
NEC compiled nine hits in game two, including two each from Nunez and Atiles.
Five different players tallied hits for Lyndon.
Audet took the loss for NEC, scattering two hits, one earned run, six walks and 11 strikeouts over five full innings.
Neil Robinson got the win in relief for Lyndon, while Andrew Whalen earned his fourth save of the season.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Pilgrims are back in action tomorrow when they travel to Thomas College for a 1:00 p.m. NAC doubleheader.
