NEW LONDON, Conn. – For the second straight day Lesley University traveled into extra innings and found themselves on the losing end as the Lynx saw their season come to a close after a 6-4 loss to Becker College in a New England Collegiate Conference Championship Tournament elimination game today at Mitchell's Alumni Field.
Lesley finishes the year with a 14-23 overall record while Becker improves to 16-20. The Hawks will player the loser of today's second game between Elms College and Mitchell College at 4:00p with a trip to the NECC Championship in the balance.
Becker junior Nick Lemay (Oxford, Mass.) earned the win for the Hawks, throwing all ten innings while allowing four runs on 11 hits and striking out six.
Lesley freshman Tom Muratore (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) was charged with the loss for the Lynx as he went 9.2 innings, allowing 15 hits and six runs (five earned) while striking out nine.
Trailing 3-2 after five and a half innings, Lesley jumped ahead for the first time in the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Senior Kevin Hopwood (Winter Haven, Fla.) started the inning with a single to right-center before moving to third on a single by fellow senior Joe Muratore (Mamaroneck, N.Y.). Freshman Justin Clark (Chino Hills, Calif.) followed with the third straight single of the inning to plate Hopwood before Muratore scored on a ground out by Adam Ciampi (Westford, Mass.) as the Lynx took a 4-3 advantage.
The score would remain in favor of the Lynx until the top of the eighth inning. Becker senior Matthew Consigli (Whitinsville, Mass.) led off the inning with a single and moved to third on a Lynx error in the outfield. Consigli would score the game's tying run two batters later on a sacrifice-fly by freshman Michael Cioce (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.).
The Lynx nearly plated the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth when sophomore Mike Slaby (Foxboro, Mass.) laced a double down the left field line. Junior Gustavo Polidor (Caracas, Venezuela) tried to score from first on the play but was gunned down on a perfectly executed relay by Cioce and Consigli.
The Hawks used the momentum from their game-saving defensive play to spark their offense in the top of the tenth. Consigli led off with a single before scoring on a double by sophomore Niko Bedell (Manorville, N.Y.) to put Becker up 5-4. The Hawks would add an insurance run on an RBI double by sophomore T.J. Sempkowski (Oceanport, N.J.) before Lemay would retire the Lynx down in order in the bottom half of the inning as the Hawks held on for the 6-4 win.
Consigli led the Hawks attack with a 3-for-5 day at the plate while also scoring three of Becker's six runs. Freshman Francis Baldino (East Brookfield, Mass.) finished 3-for-6 with three RBI while catcher Kevin Perez (Jersey City, N.J.) also picked up three hits.
Hopwood and senior David Hersey (Wolfeboro, N.H.) each finished 2-for-5 with an RBI while Polidor also added a pair of hits for the Lynx.