QUINCY, Mass.- Lesley University smacked a season-high 18 hits and scored multiple runs in three of the first four innings of play to race past Eastern Nazarene College 13-1 in a non-conference clash this afternoon at Adams Field. The victory sets a new program record for wins in a season as the Lynx improve to 15-16 on the season. ENC, who defeated Lesley at Trum Memorial Stadium last week, fall to an even 15-15 overall.
Lynx sophomore Bryan Hildebrand (Milford, Mass.) earned the victory for the guests and improved to 3-1 on the season as he went six innings, allowing just one run on four hits and striking out three. Classmate Jeff Heinz (Portsmouth, N.H.) and senior Koby Mitchell (Fall River, Mass.) finished the game with three scoreless innings of relief.
Lesley opened the game with a three-run frame in the first inning as junior Mike Slaby (Foxboro, Mass.) laced a bases-loaded triple to right-centerfield to drive in freshman Gage Reycroft (Fort Meyers, Fla.), sophomore Justin Clark (Chino Hills, Calif.) and rookie Ryan Pumphret (Shrewsbury, Mass.).
Eastern Nazarene got on the board in the bottom of the second to trim the margin to 3-1. Sam Danis (Uxbridge, Mass.) picked up an RBI as he poked a single into shallow left field to knock in Connor Simpson (Haverhill, Mass.) from second.
The Lynx chalked up a pair of runs in the third to widen the gap to 5-1. Freshman Vincent Taliercio (Valley Stream, N.Y.) rolled a single up the middle to score classmate Daniel O'Donnell Jr. (Clark, N.J.) from second base. Fellow freshman Nicholas Ferragine (Randolph, N.J.) followed with a double down the line in right to plate Talierico from second.
The offense would stay in full gear in the fourth inning as the Lynx extended their lead to 9-1 as Pumphret hammered a grand slam to left field. Pumphret ran his current hit-streak to seven games with the blast – his second of the season – while registering the first grand slam in program history.
Lesley reached double-digits with a run in the fifth, 10-1, as senior Casey Blanchard (Bernardston, Mass.) tagged up and scored from third as Clark lifted a sacrifice fly to left. The Lynx added three runs in the eighth to increase its cushion to 12 runs, 13-1, as Slaby scored on a wild pitch and Reycroft hit a double to drive in a pair.
Reycroft powered the Lynx offense, going 5-for-6 with two doubles, two runs, and two RBI. Slaby extended his hit-streak to eight games with a trio of hits to go alongside three RBI and a run scored while senior Gustavo Polidor (Caracas, Venezuela), Pumphret, and Ferragine all collected two hits on the day.
Connor Simpson (Haverhill, Mass.) picked up a two hits on the day and scored the home side's lone run. Sam Danis (Uxbridge, Mass.) collected one hit and one RBI. Jeremy Wagner (Oklahoma City, Okla.) finished with one base knock and a stolen base.
Lesley will return to New England Collegiate Conference play on Thursday for the rubber-match of a three game series with Daniel Webster College in Nashua, N.H. at 3:00p. Eastern Nazarene will host Roger Williams University at 2:30 on Friday at Adams Field.