BOSTON, Mass. – Junior right-hander Nick Iadevaio (Mineola, N.Y.) earned his fourth victory of the season in a 6-3 win in game one as the Lynx split Saturday's double-header with Becker College. The Hawks took game two by a score of 10-7 as Head Coach Bob McLaughlin recorded his 100th career victory as a head coach.
The Lynx improve to 17-15-1 and 8-8 in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) action while the Hawks move to 18-16 and 11-6 in conference play. The two teams return to the diamond tomorrow afternoon for the rubber game of the series at noon in Leicester, Mass.
Game 1: Lesley 6, Becker 3
Becker had the ballgame under control in the early innings. They jumped on the scoreboard first in the top of the second but the Lynx responded getting that run back to tie in the home half. But the Hawk bats remained hot offensively and re-gained the lead pushing a run across in the top of the third.
Junior Josiah Shepherd (Providence, R.I.) opened the frame with a lead-off double into centerfielder. After scampering to third on a ground out to second, he came in to score the second Hawks run on another ground-ball out to increase their lead to 2-1. Becker added an insurance in the top of the fifth to extend the lead to 3-1 but the Lynx bats were just getting warmed up.
In the bottom of the fifth, with the bases loaded first year first baseman Matthew Warner (San Diego, Calif.) ripped a single into left field to bring home sophomore second baseman Vincent Taliercio (Valley Stream, N.Y.). First year Steven DePalma (Albertson, N.Y.) was right behind him scoring on an error by the leftfielder to tie the game at three. The Lynx were far from done.
Junior centerfielder J.P. Agiorgousis (Hanscom AFB, Mass.) walked to load the bases. Two batters later sophomore backstop Jacob Cervantes (Oxnard, Calif.) laced a two-run double into leftfield to drive home Warner and Pumphret and take the 5-3 lead. Agiorgousis came in to score moments later on a wild pitch for the sixth Lynx run.
With a two-run cushion heading back to the bump, Iadevaio improved to 4-4 on the season after going the distance allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out six. Senior Tyler Wagar (Uxbridge, Mass.) took the loss despite striking out eight opposing batters.
Game 2: Becker 10, Lesley 7
The Hawk bats woke up in game two, scoring in each of the first four innings of the ballgame. Midway through the third inning, the Hawks held a 4-1 lead over the Lynx. The lead was quickly erased. Sophomore Ryan Pumphret (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and Warner launched back-to-back homeruns in the bottom of the frame.
Becker answered the Lynx three-run third inning pushing across a run in the top of the fourth to re-gain the lead, 5-4, and swing momentum back to their dugout. The Hawks took advantage of a Lynx miscue in the later innings scoring five times in the top of the seventh to extend their lead to 10-4.
Lesley was not going away quietly. Taliercio began the bottom of the seventh with a double into right-center before moving to third two batters later on a single by Pumphret. Agiorgousis kept the inning going with a double of his own to plate Taliercio. Moments later, Pumphret scored the fifth Lesley run on wild pitch as Agiorgousis went to third. Senior third baseman Mike Slaby (Foxborough, Mass.) ripped a double into right field to bring home Agiorgousis and knock junior - Michael Iacovelli (Northbridge, Mass.) out of the game.
However junior Christopher Ladou (Worcester, Mass.) came on in relief and was able to get sophomore shortstop Nicholas Ferragine (Randolph, N.J.) to ground out to first.
Iacovelli earned the win after tossing 3.2 innings of relief allowing three runs on six hits and one walk. Lesley sophomore Nick DeGrenier (Marshfield, Mass.) took the loss dropping him to 4-3 on the season.