WENHAM, Mass.— Lesley University scored run in the top of the eighth inning to break a 4-4 tie and sophomore Jeff Heinz (Portsmouth, N.H.) came in for a two-inning save as the Lynx spoiled Senior Day for Gordon College, earning a 5-4 victory at J. Tec White Field.
Lesley – winners in six of their last eight – improves to 19-17 on the year while the Fighting Scots dropped their third straight game and fall to 18-15.
Gordon opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning as Addison Tarr (Oxnard, Calif.) and Dean Demers (Sandy Hook, Conn.) singled to left field. Chris Leavitt (Bridgewater, Mass.) singled safely on a bunt and then an indecisive play by the Lesley infield allowed a run to come around to score on the play. Just a few moments later, Demers tagged home plate on a failed pick-off play at second base.
Getting the start on Gordon's Senior Day, Larry Torres (Bronx, N.Y.) kept the Lynx off the scoreboard in the first two innings, but ran into trouble in the third. Lesley put the first four men on base with three singles and a walk. Mike Slaby (Foxboro, Mass.) had the biggest hit of the inning with a two-RBI knock to plate Gustavo Polidor (Caracas, Venezuela) and Leo Diguilio (Bradley Beach, N.Y.) to tie the game.
A sacrifice bunt moved runners into scoring position before Daniel O'Donnell Jr. (Clark, N.J.) hit a deep sac fly to right to give the Lynx their first lead of the day. The Fighting Scots almost got out of the inning without any further damage, but an error allowed a fourth run to score before everything was done.
The home team was held to a murmur after the first inning, but Gordon manufactured a pair of runs in the seventh to make it a game again. Jeremy Jackson (Waco, Texas) reached on an error before advancing to second on a balk to put the Scots in business with only one out. Tarr walked before Demers singled in a play that would have loaded the bases. However, the ball squirted underneath the glove in the infield to allow a run to come in.
Leavitt grounded out for the second out of the frame, but it allowed Tarr to score from third for the tying run. Both runs in the inning were unearned.
The Lynx took the lead right back in the top of the eighth. O'Donnell singled up the middle of the first pitch of the inning, but Derek Hudson (Hudson, N.H.) caught the pinch hitter looking for out number one. Two errors in the infield allowed the inning to continue and O'Donnell later came in on a fielder's choice to give the Lynx a 5-4 lead.
Heinz came in for the two-inning save, sending down six straight Gordon batters to end the game.
Demers and Leavitt picked up four of Gordon's seven hits on the day. Vincent Taliercio (Valley Stream, N.Y.) had two hits in three at bats for the Lynx.
Robbie Fisher (Boston, Mass.) pinch ran in the top of the eighth for his first ever collegiate action.
Lesley will open up New England Collegiate Conference Championship action on Friday and battle with Mitchell College in New London at 11:00a.