FRANKLIN, MASS. – The New England College baseball team won their first-ever Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) game, defeating Dean College 4-1 at the Longley Athletic Complex in Franklin, Massachusetts on Monday afternoon.  
  

THE BASICS 
Score: New England College 4, Dean College 1 
Records: Pilgrims 2-13, 1-0 GNAC | Bulldogs 3-7, 0-2 GNAC 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• The first hit of the day on either side came in the fourth inning when graduate infielder Tyler Gendron (Milford, N.H.) doubled down the left field line, however the 'Grims were unable to capitalize. In the bottom of the inning, Dean collected their first hit of the day on a single up the middle by sophomore catcher Nick Amendolara (Bayville, N.Y.). But similar to NEC, the Bulldogs failed to get a run across, keeping the game scoreless. 
• In the sixth, the 'Grims began to put together a one out rally started by a walk of graduate infielder Bryce Worth (Southington, Conn.), followed by senior infielder Brett Patnode (Weare, N.H.) being hit by a pitch, and a pair of stolen bases to put runners on first and second for Gendron in the clean-up spot. Gendron came through with his second hit of the day, this time an RBI single to left field scoring Worth. Two batters later, sophomore outfielder Ryan Cote (Goffstown, N.H.) would put NEC up 2-0 with a single to center to score Patnode.  
• NEC would add some insurance runs in the seventh, as junior infielder Brady Philibotte (Weare, N.H.) ripped a double off the left field wall, scoring graduate catcher Aaron Robertson (Weare, N.H.). After a Worth single moved Philibotte to third, and forced Dean to make a pitching change, Patnode greeted the Bulldog reliever with a hard-hit single of his own, plating Philibotte and giving the 'Grims a 4-0 lead. 
• NEC went to the bullpen in the seventh, turning to junior right-handed pitcher Corey O'Day (Nashua, N.H.) to try and preserve the four-run lead. O'Day struck out the side in the seventh, before working around a leadoff single in the eighth to keep the Bulldogs off the scoreboard.  
• The Bulldogs pieced together some baserunners in the bottom of the ninth inning, finally getting in the run column off a two-out single down the right field line by senior first baseman Kyle Lancaster (Dartmouth, Mass.). With the tying run up to bat, O'Day would force a weak pop fly to right field to secure the win. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Junior right-handed pitcher Austin Hazzard (Weare, N.H.) went six strong innings for the Pilgrims, allowing no runs on just two hits and two walks. Hazzard punched out six Bulldogs en route to his second win of the season. O'Day went three innings for the 'Grims with five strikeouts to secure his ninth career save. 
• Dean starting pitcher, first-year righty Nick Swain (South Portland, Maine), took the loss on the mound, allowing two earned runs across six innings with four strikeouts.  
• Philibotte has now had back-to-back multi-hit games, reaching base three times for the 'Grims, driving in one run and scoring another.  
• Gendron had a two-hit game, driving in one run and adding a stolen base, while Worth was also active on the basepaths, stealing his team-high fourth and fifth stolen bases.  
• Dean committed two errors while NEC had a clean afternoon out in the field.  

• NEC is back on the field on Friday when they travel to New London, Connecticut for a conference doubleheader against rival Mitchell College starting at 12:00 PM.  
• Dean plays their next game at Nichols College on Wednesday, with the mid-week matchup set to start at 3:30 PM.

For continuing coverage of New England College Athletics, visit athletics.nec.edu and follow the Pilgrims on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.