WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Lesley University junior Adam Ciampi (Westford, Mass.) singled home the go ahead run in the top of the 10th before senior Tyler Plourd (Canton, Conn.) blasted a three-run homer as the Lynx picked up their first win of 2014 in the second game of a doubleheader with Becker College as the teams opened up New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) play this morning in Winter Haven, Fla.
The win is the first for new Lesley skipper Billy Cather and it marks the first time in program history that the Lynx have topped the Hawks.
Becker's offense outlasted Lesley in the first game of the afternoon as they halted a four-game losing skid with an 11-5 victory.
Lesley got the scoring started in the first game of the day, pushing a run across in the top of the first inning. Junior Robert Parson (Commack, N.Y.) led off the inning with a single before moving over on a sacrifice bunt by classmate Adam Ciampi (Westford, Mass.). Lesley took advantage of one of Becker's five miscues in the field when Parson crossed the plate on an error off the bat of senior Kevin Hopwood (Winter Haven, Fla.).
The Lynx added a run to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the second when a sacrifice fly from Parson allowed fellow junior David Hersey (Wolfeboro, N.H.).
Becker would quickly erase the two run deficit in the bottom of the inning. Senior Taylor Kapulka (Worcester, Mass.) led off with a single before scoring on a triple by freshman Randall Minogue (North Kingstown, R.I.). Minogue then crossed the plate to tie the game at 2-2 on a groundout to short by senior C.J. Flanders (Londonderry, N.H.).
Lesley's offense would continue to make some noise as Hersey doubled home two runs in the top of the third inning as the score seesawed back in favor of the Lynx, 4-2.
Junior Matt Consigli (Whitinsville, Mass.) led off Becker's third inning with a double and moved to third on a single by freshman Chris Testa (Providence, R.I.). Both runners would cross the plate on a single by senior Tom Natoli (Suffern, N.Y.). The Hawks would keep the rally going with a Kapulka double and Minogue RBI single before Flanders connected for a two-run single of his own. Consigli would cap the Hawks six-run third in his second at bat of the inning with a single that allowed Flanders to cross the dish.
The Hawks added one in the fourth and two more in sixth on their way to the 11-5 victory.
Becker hurler Tony Cantalupo (De Pere, Wis.) threw six innings, allowing just one earned run and striking out four while picking up his first win of 2014. Parson, Plourd, and Hersey all picked up two hits for the Lynx in the loss.
Trailing 3-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh in game two, Becker's Consigli tripled and came home to tie the score and send the game into extra innings on a single by senior Mike Smith (Warner, N.H.).
The Lynx kept the pressure on the Hawks by posting two runs in the top of the eighth on a pair of RBI singles from junior Ryan McQuade (Rochester, N.H.) and Parson.
Becker would once again answer back as an Evan Reilly (Hanover, Mass.) sacrifice-fly scored Minogue to cut the deficit in half. With two on and two out, the Hawks caught a break and took advantage of a Lesley error in the infield off the bat of sophomore Nick Lemay (Oxford, Mass.) that allowed freshman Mark Brousseau (Worcester, Mass.) to tie the game at 5-5.
After both teams were not able to push across runs in the ninth, sophomore Casey Blanchard (Bernardston, Mass.) and Hersey both connected for singles to kick off the top of the tenth. Becker would record the next two outs on a pair of fielder's choices before Ciampi sent a single through the right side to bring in the go ahead run. Plourd then followed with his first career home run to give the Lynx a four run cushion on their way to the 9-5 win in ten innings.
Plourd finished 2-for-4 on the day with a double, home run, two runs scored and three RBI while Hopwood posted a 2-for-5 effort at the plate with a double, triple, two RBI and three runs scored.
Blanchard, who went 3-for-4 with an RBI, picked up the first win of his career throwing three innings of relief. Lynx starter John Gosnell (Toronto, Ont.) went five innings, scattering six hits while striking out one.
The teams will play the rubber match of the three game set tomorrow at 9:30a in Lesley's spring trip finale.