Box Score PLYMOUTH, N.H. The New England College baseball team dropped their non-conference finale to Plymouth State University, 8-4, on Thursday afternoon.

THE BASICS
Score: New England College 4, Plymouth State University 8

Records:Pilgrims (18-15, 6-6 NECC) | Panthers 12-18, 3-8 LEC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Pilgrims struck quickly as they scored in the top of the first inning. Anderson Jimenez legged out an infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error. Jimenez advanced to third on a wild pitch. Luis Atiles ripped a single back up the middle which scored Jimenez and moved Xavier Nunez, who reached on a walk, to third base. However, the Panthers starting pitcher, Mark Levesque, struck out the side and stranded the two Pilgrim base runners. Plymouth State managed to runners on base and in scoring position in the bottom half of the first inning but Brendan Halloran worked his way out of the jam.

The Panthers tied the contest in the bottom of the third as Josh Goulet hit a solo homerun to right center field. Neither team had much going on offensively in the fourth and fifth innings but the Pilgrims got some offense going the sixth. Jimenez led off the inning with a single down the right field line before Nunez singled down the left field line. Both advanced to second and third on a groundout by Luis Atiles but a fly out closed out the inning and left both runners on base.

The Pilgrims regained the lead in the top of the seventh inning as Bobby Fulkerson walked to lead off the inning. Fulkerson advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch before Tyler Gendron walked. Christian Aybar ripped a double to left center field that rolled all the way to the fence, which scored both Fulkerson and Gendron and gave the Pilgrims a 3-1. Ryan Tessier came to the plate a ripped a single to left field but Aybar was thrown out at home on a good relay to close out the top of the seventh inning.

The Panthers answered with a seven spot in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Panthers batted around in the inning even though they only recorded two hits. The Pilgrims did not do any favors for themselves as they committed four errors in the inning and walked four batters. NEC did respond in the eighth inning with a run as Nunez walked to the lead off the inning, his third walk of the day. He then advanced to second, eventually advanced to third, and ended up scoring on three separate wild pitches in the top half of the inning. That would be all the Pilgrim offense could muster.

The Pilgrims used nine different pitchers on the day with Halloran starting, Selah Dalomba, Shane McNamara, Matt White, Colby Howe, Jacob Craigue, Chandler Drew, Lou Vidal, and Manuel Alejandro all seeing live action on the mound.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
-This was the 33^rd meeting all-time between the Pilgrims and the Panthers. Plymouth State leads the series, 27-6.
-The Pilgrims and Panthers met just two weeks ago which resulted in a Pilgrim victory, 19-7.
-Chandler Drew made his collegiate debut in the contest.

UP NEXT
Saturday, April 27^th at Elms College, 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.