WORCESTER, Mass. – Lesley University wrapped up their regular season with a pair of losses to NCAA Division I Holy Cross Sunday afternoon at Hanover Insurance Park. The Lynx dropped game one 5-1 before falling 5-0 in game two.
The Lynx cap their season with a record-setting 19 wins, finishing the year at 19-21 overall. Lesley will await word on a possible at-large postseason berth this week. The Crusaders complete their regular season slate at 26-24.
Game One: Lesley 1, Holy Cross 5
Box Score
Trailing 1-0 after two full innings, the Lynx would get on the board and knot the score in the top half of the third. Freshman Gage Reycroft (Ft. Myers, Fla.) led off the inning with a double to right and was moved to third on a sacrifice-bunt by classmate Nicholas Ferragine (Randolph, N.J.). The sacrifice proved to be effective as Reycroft would cross the plate one batter later when junior J.P. Agiorgousis (Hanscom, Mass.) brought in a run with a ground out to short.
The Crusaders would jump back on top in the bottom of the frame as junior Anthony Critelli (Holmdel, N.J.) followed a walk and a single with a two-run double to right-center to stake the hosts with a 3-1 lead.
Holy Cross would add a run in the fourth inning and another in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by senior Bobby Indeglia (North Kingston, R.I.) to earn the 5-1 win.
Lesley would threaten with a pair of runners in the seventh as freshmen Ryan Pumphret (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and Jacob Cervantes (Oxnard, Calif.) both drew walks, but senior reliever Sean Gustin (Stoneham, Mass.) got out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts.
Lynx sophomore Tom Muratore (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) pitched well but suffered the loss for the guests. The right-hander went the distance, allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits and striking out five.
Game Two: Lesley 0, Holy Cross 5
Box Score
The nightcap was a pitcher's duel in the early-goings as Lesley sophomore Nick Iadevaio (Mineola, N.Y.) allowed just one hit over the opening three innings.
The Lynx would threaten first in the top of the second as Ferragine, Agiorgousis, and freshman Matt Bavaro (Sayville, N.Y.) all worked walks to load the bases with two outs, chasing Holy Cross starter Declan Cronin (Montclair, N.J.) from the game. Junior Alec Morrison (Barnstable, Mass.) would come in relief of Declan and escape the jam unscathed, forcing a ground out to keep the game scoreless.
After ending the bottom of the third by throwing out Crusaders senior Nick Lovullo (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) attempting to steal, Cervantes would try to spark a two-out Lesley rally in the top of the fourth with a single through the left side. The freshman backstop would advance to second on a wild pitch, but would not advance any further as Holy Cross junior Joe Cravero (Hanover, N.H.) would notch a strikeout to keep the Lynx off the scoreboard.
The hosts would break the scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning when sophomore Thomas Russo (Weston, Mass.) laced and RBI single to left before junior Josh Hassell (Tulsa, Okla.) drove in the second run of the inning with a sacrifice-fly to centerfield to put the Crusaders up 2-0.
The Lynx would try to manufacture some offense in the fifth when Ferragine walked, stole second, and moved to third on a ground out. Bavaro would be hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners with two outs, but once again Cravero forced a ground out to get out of the inning.
The score would remain 2-0 in favor of the hosts until the bottom of the seventh when sophomore Cam O'Neill (Lynn, Mass.) connected for a three-run double to right-center, giving the Crusaders a 5-0 edge.
Iadevaio took the loss for the Lynx, going 5.1 innings, allowing just two runs on seven hits and striking out two. Senior Koby Mitchell (Fall River, Mass.) and sophomore Jeff Heinz (Portsmouth, N.H.) each notched their 18th appearance on the season, setting a new program single-season high for appearances in a season. Freshman Nick DeGrenier (Marshfield, Mass.) pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the visitors.
Pumphret, Cervantes, and freshman Daniel O'Donnell Jr. (Clark, N.J.) each collected hits for the Lynx.