HENNIKER, N.H. - After suffering a 20-3 loss in the first game of a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader with Elms College, the Pilgrims bounced back in a big way with a 14-2 victory in the nightcap to earn the split. 

Game 1 – NEC 3, Elms 20 

The Blazers took control from the very first pitch, taking a commanding lead and not giving it up for the remainder of the game. They out-hit the Pilgrims 16-7 while also capitalizing on five NEC errors to take game one. 

Two of the three runs for the 'Grims came on solo home runs; sophomore Jaken Pellerin (Manchester, N.H.) hit his fifth long ball of the season in the second inning, followed later by senior Ryan Cote (Goffstown, N.H.), who, in the third, launched his fifth of the campaign to match Pellerin for the team lead. 

The team's final run came in the sixth when graduate Tyler Fenton (Wilmington, Mass.) entered the game and hit a double before scoring on a wild pitch. 

Game 2 – NEC 14, Elms 2 

After retiring the Blazers in order in the top of the first, the Pilgrims quickly got to work in the bottom of the inning. The first seven 'Grims all reached base safely including three consecutive doubles to begin the frame. After having already plated four runs in the inning, freshman TJ Hicks (Tampa, Fla.) came to the plate with the bases loaded and crushed a grand slam over the left field fence to give NEC an 8-0 lead. 

After an effortless first, junior Paul Foster (Billerica, Mass.) found himself in a jam in the second with the bases loaded and no outs. But Foster recorded three straight outs to keep Elms off the board. 

In the bottom of the third, Cote singled home freshman Dillan Abbate (Port Jervis, N.Y.) who had reached on a single of his own. After the bases were loaded, the Pilgrims pushed another run across on a wild pitch to make it a 10-1 game after three. 

Later in the fifth, the Pilgrims once again had the bases loaded for senior Harold Martinez (Wethersfield, Conn.), and Martinez came through with his second two-run single of the game. Two batters later, junior Charlie Greenberg (Lewisboro, N.Y.) singled home sophomore Bobby Trigilio (Chicopee, Mass.) to go up 14-2 as every member of the Pilgrims starting lineup had secured a hit. 

Foster got through six innings with just two earned runs and a season-high five strikeouts before turning things over to junior Colby Rohr (Highland Village, Tex.) who shut the door on a 12-run victory in seven innings. 

Graduate Brady Philibotte (Weare, N.H.) went 2-for-4 with a double in game two, tying former 'Grim Luis Antiles for second all-time with 150 career hits. With his run-scoring double in the first inning, Philibotte also recorded his 100th career RBI. 

NEC will take a brief hiatus from conference play for a pair of midweek games, heading to WPI at 3:30 on Tuesday and hosting Wentworth at 4:00 PM on Thursday. They resume GNAC action next Saturday as they face off against Colby-Sawyer on senior day. 

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