HENNIKER, N.H. – The Lesley University baseball team split a pair of non-conference doubleheaders this afternoon with New England College. After dropping game one 14-12, the Lynx came back to win game two, 10-1, behind a tremendous pitching performance by junior John Gosnell (Toronto, Ont.). The Lynx move to 6-7 on the year while the Pilgrims go to 4-12.
Game One: Lesley 12, NEC 14
The first game of the afternoon was an offensive affair as the two teams combined for 26 runs on 28 hits. With the score knotted at 4-4 after three innings, the Pilgrims put up six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a commanding 10-4 lead. NEC strung together five straight singles and scored three runs to start the inning before sophomore Myles Comeau (Avon, Mass.) scored the fourth run of the inning for the Pilgrims on a pass ball. Freshman Stanley Petteway (Waterbury, Conn.) delivered the big blow of the inning with a two-run single down the left field line to give NEC a six-run cushion.
The Pilgrims would extend the lead to eight runs, plating two more in the bottom of the fifth, but the Lynx would not go quietly. Lesley loaded the bases to start the top of the sixth inning before senior Patrick Melo (Somerville, Mass.) delivered an RBI single to centerfield to score Joe Muratore (Mamaroneck, N.Y.). Gosnell would score on a passed ball before sophomore Casey Blanchard (Bernardston, Mass.) belted a three-run home run to cap a five run inning for the Lynx as they cut the deficit to 12-9. The home run for Blanchard, who has now hit safely in five of the last six games, was the first of his career.
The Pilgrims answered the Lynx sixth inning outburst with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning when they capitalized on a pair of Lesley blunders in the field to push the lead back to five runs, 14-9.
With two on and two out in the top of the seventh, junior Robert Parson (Commack, N.Y.) connected for a two-run triple before crossing the dish on a Blanchard single. The Lynx brought the tying run to the plate, but NEC reliever Eric Johnson (Whitman, Mass.) ended the threat, and the game, by forcing a fly ball to center.
Blanchard led the Lynx offense with a 3-for-5 effort at the plate with a home run, four RBI, and two runs scored. Melo finished 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored while Parson finished with two hits, two RBI, and two runs.
Game Two: Lesley 10, NEC 1
Gosnell continued his hot streak on the mound in the second game of the afternoon with his second straight complete game, picking up his second win of the season. The junior limited the Pilgrims to eight hits and one run while striking out two. In his last 14 innings pitched, the Toronto native has given up just three runs while lowering his ERA to 3.2y on the season.
The Lesley bats stayed hot from the start as they quickly put two runs up in the top of the first. After Parson led the game off with a walk, Blanchard followed with a double into the left-centerfield gap. The two crossed the plate when senior Tyler Plourd (Canton, Conn.) drilled a single down the left field line to give the Lynx an early 2-0 advantage.
Parson played a part in each of Lesley's three runs in the top of the second inning as he singled home classmates Adam Ciampi (Westford, Mass.) and Muratore before scoring on a wild pitch later in the inning.
The offense did not slow down in the third inning as Muratore blasted a two-run double into the right-center gap to plate Ryan Genua (Prospect, Conn.) and Ray Cohen (Coventry, Conn.) as the Lynx pushed their lead to 7-0.
After the teams exchanged runs in the fifth inning, Muratore knocked in his third run of the day with a single to left before scoring on a Pilgrim error as the Lynx rolled to the 10-1 win.
Muratore, Parson, and senior Kevin Hopwood (Winter Haven, Fla.) each collected three hits in the win.
The Lynx will return to New England Collegiate Conference action on Tuesday when they host Elms College in a doubleheader at Trum Field at 4:00p.