CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Lesley University battled to a pair of wins over Becker College in New England Collegiate Conference play tonight at Trum Memorial Stadium. The Lynx used an Adam Ciampi (Westford, Mass.) walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning to take game one 3-2 before breaking out for a 10-2 victory in the nightcap.
The pair of wins snaps a four-game losing skid and pushes Lesley to 11-19 overall and 7-9 in the NECC while Becker, losers of three straight, fall to 12-15 on the season and 7-5 in the conference. The two teams will square off in the final game of their three-game weekend series tomorrow at Becker.
In between games, the Lynx celebrated Senior Night as they honored Ciampi, Ray Cohen (Coventry, Conn.), Kevin Hopwood (Winter Haven, Fla.), Joe Muratore (Mamaroneck, N.Y.), Matt O'Donnell (Somerville, Mass.), and Rob Parson (Commack, N.Y.) in a celebration with friends and family at home plate.
Game one: Becker 2, Lesley 3
Sophomore Mike Slaby (Foxboro, Mass.) led off the bottom half of the seventh inning with a single through the left side before moving into scoring position on a Joe Muratore sacrifice bunt. After freshman Tom Muratore (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) drew a walk, Ciampi delivered a walk-off single to centerfield to plate Slaby and secure the 3-2 win for the Lynx.
Cohen was spectacular for the Lynx on the mound as he went the distance, allowing just two runs on six hits while striking out seven and walking two as he moves to 2-1 on the season.
Becker sophomore Tyler Wagar (Uxbridge, Mass.) nearly matched Cohen's effort for the Hawks as he was charged with the loss, going 6.1 innings giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out four and walking one. The righthander falls to 2-5 on the season with the loss.
Parson powered the Lesley attack from his usual leadoff spot as he went 2-for-3 with his first career home run while Hersey finished 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Slaby, Ciampi, and freshman Justin Clark (Chino Hills, Calif.) each picked up hits for the hosts.
Sophomore Niko Bedell (Manorville, N.Y.) led the way for the Hawks as he finished 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, a run scored, and an RBI while classmate T.J. Sempkowski (Oceanport, N.J.) went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
Bedell's solo shot to deep left field in the top of the fourth broke the scoreless tie to put the Hawks up 1-0. Sempkowski followed Bedell with a double down the left field line before being moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt. The sophomore short stop then scored on a wild pitch to extend the Hawks lead to 2-0.
The Lynx would answer with one run in the bottom of the frame. Hersey led off with a double to right-center before Clark singled through the left side to put runners on the corners with no outs. Slaby would then reach on a fielder's choice on a ground ball up the middle that plated Hersey as the Lynx cut the lead in half.
Parson would then tie the game for the hosts with a leadoff home run to left field in the bottom of the sixth that set up Ciampi's heroics in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Game two: Becker 2, Lesley 10
With the game knotted at 2-2 after three full innings, the Lynx would take a 5-2 lead with a three-run fourth inning. The Lynx would push their first run of the inning across on a Becker throwing error before junior Gustavo Polidor (Caracas, Venezuela) sent a double down the right field line to plate both Parson and Ciampi.
Lesley broke the game open in the sixth inning in which they sent ten batters to the plate. With runners on the corners and no outs, Ciampi executed a suicide-squeeze to score Hopwood. Two batters later, Polidor would pick up his third RBI of the game with a single to center. Clark would add to the offensive barrage with an RBI single through the left side before Slaby battled through a ten-pitch at bat and laced a two-run double to left-centerfield to cap Lesley's scoring in the inning as they rolled to the 10-2 win.
Tom Muratore would earn the win for the Lynx as he threw five scoreless innings of relief in which he allowed just one hit while striking out six and walking seven. O'Donnell got the start on the bump for the hosts, going two innings allowing two runs on four hits.
Becker senior Brian Dowling (Naugatuck, Conn.) suffered his first blemish of the season for the Hawks as he took the loss. The righty went four innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on three hits while issuing three walks and recording three strikeouts.
Polidor finished 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored for Lesley while Clark went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run.
Sempkowski went 1-for-2 with a home run in the top of the third for the Hawks while freshman Sullivan Bortner (Palmyra, Pa.) finished 1-for-2 with an RBI.