MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The NEC baseball team used a huge six-run seventh inning to surge past Saint Elizabeth University, 9-5, for their second win of the season at the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The Pilgrims had a lot of traffic on the bases in the early innings of the game but failed to break through with a big frame. They managed an early run in the second off a sacrifice fly by graduate Brady Philibotte (Weare, N.H.) and scored again in the third inning as sophomore Bobby Trigilio (Chicopee, Mass.) took a 1-0 pitch over the left field fence for his first collegiate long ball.
The six-run rally in the seventh came after the Eagles plated five runs of their own in a fifth inning rally which was jumpstarted by some misplays by the Pilgrim defense. NEC pushed across a run in the bottom half of the fifth to make it a 5-3 SEU lead.
The 'Grims began the seventh with a pair of walks before Philibotte doubled down the right field line to plate a run. After sophomore Jaken Pellerin (Manchester, N.H.) was intentionally walked, junior Mike Monteforte (Wilmington, Mass.) came through with a clutch two RBI single to put NEC up one.
Before the Eagles could record a single out, graduate Tyler Fenton (Wilmington, Mass.) smacked a single to re-load the bases. Freshman TJ Hicks (Tampa, Fla.) grounded out, driving in Pellerin, while Monteforte scored on a wild pitch. Senior Harold Martinez (Wethersfield, Conn.) singled home Fenton to cap off the frame with a 9-5 lead.
Sophomore Benoit Beaudoin (Meredith, N.H.) started on the mound for the 'Grims, going five innings with zero earned runs (five unearned) and just one walk. In relief of Beaudoin, freshman Kaiden Chase (Gray, Maine) was stellar in his collegiate debut, throwing four scoreless innings with just three baserunners and two punch outs.
Chase was credited with the win as the Pilgrims improved to 2-4 on the season. The lineup has produced 28 runs across their last three games with another double-digit hit total on Wednesday. The team has shown great patience at the plate, walking 13 times in the win. Pellerin walked four times in six plate appearances while senior Ryan Cote (Goffstown, N.H.) was issued three free passes.
Senior Nick Hernandez (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) reached base four times with two hits while Philibotte and Martinez each had multi-hit days and are riding four game hitting streaks.
The team returns to the diamond for their final two games of their Myrtle Beach trip on Thursday, facing Elmira College for a pair of seven-inning games at 12 and 3 PM.
For continuing coverage of New England College Athletics, visit athletics.nec.edu and follow the Pilgrims on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
