HAVERHILL, Mass. – Southern Vermont College avenged yesterday's 9-3 loss and swept both ends of today's New England Collegiate Conference doubleheader over Lesley University as the Mountaineers take the regular season series 2-1. SVC topped Lesley 5-1 in game one before taking a 10-4 decision in game two in what was a gorgeous day at Trinity Stadium.
The pair of wins improves the Mountaineers to an even 8-8 on the season and 3-3 in the NECC while the Lynx fall to 7-15 overall and 4-6 in the conference.
Lesley will look to get back into the win column on Tuesday as they travel to Elms College for an NECC tilt at 3:30p while SVC will host University of Maine at Presque Isle in a non-conference double-dip tomorrow starting at 11:00a.
The Mountaineers scored four runs to break a 1-1 tie in the top of the seventh inning and hung on for the 5-1 victory in the opening game.
Freshman Jean-Carlos Berasgoico (New York, N.Y.) was phenomenal for the visitors, earning the win in a complete game effort yielding just two hits and one run while striking out two and walking four. The rookie right-hander carried a no-bit bid into the sixth inning before Lesley senior David Hersey (Wolfeboro, N.H.) broke it up with a single through the left side of the infield.
Lynx freshman Nick Iadevaio (Mineola, N.Y.) nearly matched Berasgoico's effort as he carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning before SVC freshman Niko D'Agnese (Westchester, N.Y.) ended his run with a double down the left field line with one out. Iadevaio went the distance for Lesley, giving up six hits and five runs (three earned) while striking out two and walking three.
D'Agnese's double sparked the Mountaineers offense in the top of the fifth as senior Sal Sciara (Massapequa, N.Y.) followed with a single to center to knock in the freshman for the game's first run.
The Lynx knotted the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning. Senior Kevin Hopwood (Winter Haven, Fla.) drew a one out walk before moving to second on Hersey's single. Hopwood would move over to third on a ball in the dirt before crossing the dish on a wild pitch.
The tie would not last long, however, as SVC rallied to score four times in the next inning. Once again, D'Agnese provided the spark as he led off the inning with a single before moving into scoring position as he stole second. The Mountaineers took advantage of a Lynx miscue in the infield as a throwing error on a Sciara bunt allowed D'Agnese to score and Sciara moved to second. A sacrifice bunt then moved Sciara to third and he scored on a sacrifice fly by junior RJ Pingitore (Amsterdam, N.Y.).
The Mountaineers would cap their rally with back-to-back RBI singles by junior Richard Rios (Pico Rivera, Calif.) and senior Roland Hernandez (Pico Rivera, Calif.).
Berasgoico set the Lynx down in order to close the game in the bottom of the seventh as he improved to 2-1 on the year.
The offensive momentum that the Mountaineers found late in game one carried over into game two as they used a six-run third inning to jump out to a 7-1 lead.
After D'Agnese started the top of the third with a single to left and Sciara was hit with a pitch to reach first, SVC took advantage of an errant throw in the Lesley infield that allowed both runners to cross the plate. Pingitore followed with a run scoring single up the middle before Hernandez followed with an RBI single of his own for the fourth run of the inning. Sophomore Anthony Mercuri (Ridge, N.Y.) was hit with the bases loaded to account for the fifth run of the inning before D'Agnese put the Mountaineers up 7-1 with a fielder's choice.
SVC would add two runs in the fourth and one more in the fifth to take a commanding 10-1 lead.
The Lynx offense gathered some life in the sixth inning as sophomore Mike Slaby (Foxboro, Mass.) reached on an error that allowed freshman Justin Clark (Chino Hills, Calif.) to come around before senior Rob Parson (Commack, N.Y.) laced a two-run single to center that allowed Slaby and junior Casey Blanchard (Bernardston, Mass.) to cross the plate as the Lynx cut the deficit to 10-4.
It was too little, too late for the hosts, however, as SVC sophomore Joshua Hay (South Glens Falls, N.Y.) got out of the jam with a ground ball before retiring the Lynx in order to end the game in the bottom of the seventh.
Senior Dustyn Marfyak (Torrington, Conn.) earned the win for the Mountaineers as he improved to 3-1 on the season. The righty threw four innings allowing seven hits and one run before giving way to Hay who finished the final three innings, yielding two hits, three runs (zero earned), and striking out two.