SOMERVILLE, MA – Elms College completed its three-game sweep of Lesley University, besting the Lynx 20-1 Monday night in New England Collegiate Conference baseball play.
A 10-run seventh and five-run ninth inning broke open what was a pitchers' duel through three innings. Donald Morse (Alfred, MA/Massabesic) went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and three runs scored for Elms, and Blazers lefty Nick Cordeiro (Berkley, MA/Coyle-Cassidy) held up his end of the pitcher's battle the entire way, throwing nine innings of one-run ball, striking out seven and scattering seven hits.
For Lesley, left fielder Andrew Colon (Watertown, MA/Watertown) went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
After a scoreless first three innings, the Blazers threatened in the third, loading the bases without getting the ball out of the infield on a walk, an error and infield single. Starter Ryan Genua (Prospect, CT/Woodland) escaped danger, though, garnering an inning-ending 1-2-3 double play off the bat of Blazers centerfielder Stephen Fisher.
Fisher redeemed himself in the bottom of the inning. He threw out Lynx third baseman Joseph Santos trying to score from second base at home plate, keeping the game scoreless through three.
Elms broke out the bats with back-to-back doubles to start the fourth from Nicolino Iavicoli (Hampden, MA/Longmeadow) and Morse, who scored on a 1-6-3 double play that put the Lynx on top 2-0.
The Blazers scored one with two outs in the fourth on a Fisher RBI double and two in the fifth on a Zachary Dreher (Naugautuck, CT/Naugautuck) RBI triple on which he came around to score after a Lesley error, now making it a 5-0 game.
Elms broke the game open entirely in its 10-run seventh to go up 15-0. Reynaldo Rivera (San Juan, PR/Colegio Lourdes) drove in two with a double and Morse laced a two-run double of his own.
Lesley got a run back in the bottom half of the inning, which Andrew Colon (Watertown, MA/Watertown) led off with a double to center, and Colon was sent home on a two-out Jeff Landry (Vestal, NY/Vestal) RBI single.
The Blazers added five more in the ninth to close out the 20-1 win.
Lesley returns to the diamond Wednesday night for another 7:00 league game against Daniel Webster. Elms, meanwhile, plays host to Springfield College on Wednesday.
