NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – Casey Blanchard's (Bernardston, Mass.) two-out RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning gave the Lynx a 5-4 lead and sophomore Jeff Heinz (Portsmouth, N.H.) shut the door with a 1-2-3 ninth as the Lesley University baseball team outlasted Rivier University 5-4 in non-conference action tonight at the New England Baseball Complex.
Blanchard's single through the left side was his second hit of the night and brought in freshman Jacob Cervantes (Oxnard, Calif.) for the winning run to snap a two-game losing skid for the Lynx.
Lesley improves to 7-10 on the season while Rivier – winners of five of their last six entering the night – drop to 5-13 overall.
Both offenses were held scoreless through five innings until Rivier junior Adam Arkell (Dover, N.H.) opened the scoring with a three-run home run to left-centerfield to give the Raiders a 3-0 advantage.
The lead would not last long for the visitors, however, as the Lynx would answer with a long ball of their own in the bottom of the inning. Junior J.P. Agiorgousis (Hanscom, N.H.) followed a walk by senior Gustavo Polidor (Caracas, Venezuela) with a high-towering shot to center for the first home run of his career to cut the deficit to one, 3-2. Lesley would catch a break and convert on a pair of Rivier miscues as freshman Matthew Bavaro (Sayville, N.Y.) reached on a dropped-third-strike, stole second, and came around on an error in the Raiders outfield as the Lynx would even the score at 3-3.
Polidor would start another rally for the Lynx in the seventh as he drew a one-out walk, stole second, and later scored on an RBI single by freshman Nicholas Ferragine (Randolph, N.J.) to give the hosts a one run advantage.
The Raiders wasted little time in tying the game at 4-4 as senior Taylor Black (West Springfield, Mass.) led off the eighth with a deep, solo homer to left – his first of the season.
The Lesley bats would keep making noise in the bottom of the inning as Cervantes led off with a double to left-center before scoring on Blanchard's single to give the Lynx the 5-4 lead they would not relinquish.
Heinz set the Raiders down in order with a pair of ground outs and a fly out pick up his second save of the season.
Lynx senior Koby Mitchell (Fall River, Mass.) went six innings, allowing six hits, three runs, and striking out three in the no-decision. Freshman Jack Snyder (Shrewsbury, Mass.) picked up the win with two innings of relief, yielding one hit and one run while striking out three.
Raiders senior Edward Soucie (South Ryegate, Vt.) struck out eight and allow three runs (two earned), one four hits over six innings in the no-decision.
The Lynx will return to New England Collegiate Conference play and open up a three-game set with Daniel Webster College with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1:00p at Trinity Stadium in Haverhill, Mass. The Raiders will be off until Friday, April 8th when they host UMaine-Presque Isle at 7:00p.