NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – Junior right-hander Nick Iadevaio (Mineola, N.Y.) tossed six innings of scoreless relief in game two as the Lynx scored six unanswered runs to sweep Daniel Webster College, Sunday evening in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) action.
The Lynx improve to 11-4 on the season and sit atop the conference standings with a 4-1 NECC record while Eagles drop to 1-10 on the year.
Game 1: Lesley 5, Daniel Webster 1
Daniel Webster jumped on the scoreboard early pushing across a run in the home half of the first to take the 1-0 lead. It appeared as if it was going to be plenty for the Eagles' Matt Dietrich, who kept the Lynx off the scoreboard for the first three innings. However, the second time through the order was different story.
The Lynx took advantage of an Eagle error in the top of the fourth inning to push across two runs and take the 2-1 lead. Junior Justin Clark (Chino Hills, Calif.) opened the inning with a base-hit back up the middle but was thrown out at second on a single by sophomore first baseman Ryan Pumphret (Shrewsbury, Mass.). Following a walk to junior centerfielder J.P. Agiorgousis (Hanscom AFB, Mass.), first year Steven DePalma (Albertson, N.Y.) kept the inning alive reach on an error by the pitcher.
Sophomore leftfielder Matthew Bavaro (Sayville, N.Y.) drove home Pumphret to tie the game with a fly-ball to straight away centerfield. Moments later, DePalma got caught stealing second but not before Agiorgousis came in to score the Lynx second run.
Junior right-hander Tom Muratore (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) was finally settling into a groove, retiring the side in order in the bottom of the fourth. Sophomore backstop Jacob Cervantes (Oxnard, Calif.) opened the top of the fifth beating out an infield single before advancing to the second on a walk by shortstop Nicholas Ferragine (Randolph, N.J.). Attempting to sacrifice, first year second baseman Will Rhone (North Haven, Conn.) reached on another error by the pitcher and in the process came home Cervantes to score.
The Lynx were far from done. Two batters later, Clark drove in Ferragine with a sacrifice fly for the fourth Lynx run. Lesley took advantage of the Eagles' second error of the inning scoring their fifth run as Rhone scored.
It was more than enough for Muratore to earn his fourth victory of the season tossing his third complete game of the year allowing just one run while striking out three. Dietrich took home the loss for the Eagles after allowing five unearned runs in five innings while giving up three hits.
Game 2: Lesley 6, Daniel Webster 5
Daniel Webster jumped on the scoreboard first for the second straight game, batting around to put up a crooked number four in the bottom of the first. However, Lesley chipped away at the deficit and scored six unanswered runs to take the two-run 6-4 lead in the top of the sixth.
Following back-to-back one-out walks by Bavaro and Pumphret in the top of the third, Clark drove in Bavaro with the Lynx first run. First year rightfielder Matthew Warner (San Diego, Calif.) ripped a double just inside the third baseline to plate Pumphret with their second run and cut the deficit in half, 4-2.
Coming on in relief with two outs in the first inning, junior righthander Nick Iadevaio (Mineola, N.Y.) began to settle in a groove retiring the side in order in the second and third innings.
Trailing by two runs in the top of the fifth, Lynx knocked Eagles starter Ryan Murray out of the game loading the bases with no one out. Daniel Webster's Nasi Nikolopoulos didn't fare much better hitting Warner to bring in Bavaro and cut the lead to one-run, 4-3. Two batters later, Ferragine tied the game up a four driving in Clark with a deep fly ball to centerfield.
An inning later with momentum on their side the Lynx took their first lead of the game scoring twice in the top of the sixth. Clark ripped a one-out single into rightfield to plate Bavaro to put Lesley before Warner gave the Lynx an insurance run lining a single into left-center to increase their lead to 6-4.
The Lynx needed that extra run. In the bottom of the seventh, Daniel Webster pushed across one run and was threatening for more with bases loaded and no outs. However, junior Jeff Heinz (Portsmouth, N.H.) had other ideas. The New Hampshire native got Eagle shortstop Matt Alberino to hit a chopper back to the mound for the easy 1-2-3 double play before getting second baseman Mike Habibi to pop out to second.
Iadevaio earned his second victory of the season striking out six Eagles batters while scattering three hits in six innings of relief. Heinz picked up his third save of the year.
The Lynx return to the diamond on Wednesday April 5th when they travel to non-conference Eastern Nazarene College at 6:00 p.m.