WENHAM, Mass.— The Lesley University baseball team suffered a non-conference setback to host Gordon College 9-3 this afternoon at J. Tec White Field.
The Fighting Scots capitalized on several first-inning miscues by visiting Lesley College and tacked on flurry of runs in the later stages to earn a season sweep over the Lynx, 2-0. The Fighting Scots improve to 15-12 on the season while the Lynx fall to 7-11.
Lesley's Robert Parson (Commack, N.Y.) started off the game with an infield single to the deep gap between short and second, not allowing Gordon's Eric Walker (Danvers, Mass.) to make a play. Parson immediately stole second to put a runner in scoring position with nobody out in the inning.
After Gordon starter Roland LaPointe (Leominster, Mass.) recorded an out with a pop-up, Tyler Plourd (Canton, Conn.) knocked a hit through the infield into left field to score Parson from second. LaPointe was able to get out of the rest of the inning unscathed.
Four of the first five batters the Fighitng Scots sent to the plate reached as the hosts loaded the bases with one out. Carlos Pichardo (La Romana, D.R.) knotted the game at 1-1 with a single to left field. Alex Smith (Wethersfield, Conn.) followed with a fielder's choice to score a run, but two Gordon runners would cross home plate after Lesley threw the ball away trying to double up Smith at first.
The Lynx started a good rally in the top half of the second after the first two batters were retired. Ryan McQuade (Rochester, N.H.) earned a five-pitch walk to keep the inning alive. Parson moved McQuade to second on a bloop single to left field—his second of the game—and both runners scored on a double by Cohen that trickled to the wall in left.
Four innings of scoreless, 1-2-3, baseball ensued before the Scots added to their lead. After Gordon loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth, Alonzo Martinez (El Paso, Texas) launched a sacrifice fly to right field to score Joe Olszak (Danvers, Mass.). Travis Pullen (Las Vegas, Nevada) pulled a ball down the third base line to score Alex German (Brimfield, Ill.).
RBIs by Walker and Jesse Amaya (South Gate, Calif.) in the seventh inning allowed the Fighting Scots to pull away for good. Eric Proulx (Charlton, Mass.), Jared Kefalas (Wenham, Mass.) and German pitched three innings of relief to shut down the Lynx in the final third of the game.
Sophomore Forrest Steevens (Wilton, N.H.) was charged with the loss in the first start of his career, throwing six innings, allowing just six hits, six runs, and striking out one.
Lesley will return to action tomorrow as they travel to Campanelli Stadium in Brockton, Mass. for a pair of games with New England Collegiate Conference foe, Newbury College. The teams will first continue a suspended game stemming from bad weather on March 29th in which the Lynx are holding a 10-0 lead in the third inning before playing a nine-inning game in the nightcap.