HAVERHILL, Mass. – The Lesley University baseball team dropped the season series to Southern Vermont College falling to the Mountaineers in Saturday afternoon's double-header, 2-1 and 5-2. Senior third baseman Mike Slaby (Foxborough, Mass.) hit his first career homerun – an inside-the-park homer – in game two but it was not enough to power past the Mountaineers.
Southern Vermont improves to 6-15 on the season and 4-2 in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) action while Lesley drops to 13-10 and 5-3 in conference.
GAME 1: Southern Vermont 2, Lesley 1
The first game of the twin-bill was a pitcher's duel between junior right-hander Nick Iadevaio (Mineola, N.Y.) and Mountaineer senior Dylan Angelo (Amsterdam, N.Y.). Lesley struck first scoring once in the bottom of the second inning.
Sophomore first baseman Ryan Pumphret (Shrewsbury, Mass.) began the inning reaching on a hit by pitch then scampered into scoring position on a passed ball. Following a walk to sophomore second baseman Vincent Taliercio (Valley Stream, N.Y.), Angelo loaded the bases with one out hitting first year Steven DePalma (Albertson, N.Y.). Slaby lifted a fly ball to leftfield to bring in Pumphret with the game's first run.
It stayed a one-run game in favor of the Lynx until the top of the fourth when the Mountaineers took advantage of two errors in the field. Junior rightfielder Niko D'Agnese (Mahopac, N.Y.) began the inning with a single then advanced 90 feet on an error by the first baseman. Iadevaio looked as if he was going to get out of the inning unscathed recording two quick outs on first year first baseman Anthony LaBella (Exeter, N.H.) and sophomore Cody Sullivan (Brunswick, N.Y.). However the inning stayed alive due to an error at shortstop which brought in D'Agnese to tie the game at 1-1.
Neither team was able to muster any offense against the opposing team's pitcher over the next four innings. The Lynx looked poised to push across one run in the bottom of the fifth with first year Will Rhone (North Haven, Conn.) standing at second with one out. But Mountaineer sophomore catcher Dan Mason (Bloomingdale, N.J.) caught Rhone trying to steal third for the second out of the inning. Angelo went on to retire the next five Lynx batters before giving up a single to DePalma in the bottom of the seventh.
After Angelo induced a taylor-made double-play ball off the bat of Slaby to force extra innings, the Mountaineers took advantage of another miscue in the field by the Lynx in the top of the eighth. Facing a fresh arm, junior right-hander Jeff Heinz (Portsmouth, N.H.), sophomore first baseman Joseph Braim (Schuylerville, N.Y.) reached on a two-base error. Moments later he took third on a balk before scoring the game-winning run a sacrifice fly by first year Connor Pingitore (Amsterdam, N.Y.).
Angelo improves to 2-2 on the season tossing a complete-game, eight innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out four and walking three. Heinz took the loss falling to 0-2 on the year. Iadevaio pitched outstanding over seven innings allowing just one unearned run on four hits while striking out three.
GAME 2: Southern Vermont 5, Lesley 2
The Mountaineers wasted little time jumping on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning of game two. LaBella worked a two-out walk then got on his horse and scored from first base on a double off the bat of Sullivan.
It would be a short-lived lead as the Lynx answered in the home half. Sophomore shortstop Nicholas Ferragine (Randolph, N.J.) led off the bottom of the inning with a double before swiping third. Two batters later with runners at the corners, Ferragine scored on a wild pitch to tie up the game at one.
However, Southern Vermont responded scoring twice with two outs in the top of the second. Sophomore shortstop John Arancio (Oradell, N.J.) walked while junior leftfielder Luigi Magliocca (Broadalbin, N.Y.) reached on a hit by pitch to bring the order back around to the top. Sophomore centerfielder Zack Stacey (Saratoga, N.Y.) drove home Arancio to put the Mountaineers back on top, 2-1. D'Agnese provided them with a little cushion ripping a single of his own to bring in Magliocca to extend the lead to 3-2.
Southern Vermont needed that extra run as Lesley inched their way closer. In the bottom of the second, Slaby registered his first career homerun lining a rocket into centerfield. The ball scooted past the centerfielder and towards the back wall as Slaby got on his horse for the inside-the-park homerun.
But it was all the Lynx were able to get. The Mountaineers added to their lead taking advantage of a bout of wildness from Lynx relievers to push across two runs in the top of the seventh to go up 5-2.
Braim earned the victory going the distance allowing two runs on five hits while striking out four to improve to 2-1 on the season. Sophomore right-hander Nick DeGrenier (Marshfield, Mass.) suffered his first loss falling to 3-1 on the year after going 6.2 innings allowing five runs on six hits and striking out four.
Lesley breaks from conference action when they travel to Nashua, N.H. on Tuesday April 18th to face Rivier University. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m. Southern Vermont will be back in action on Monday April 17th when they host NECC foe Daniel Webster College at 3:00 p.m. in Bennington, Vt.