THE BASICS 

Score: 
Lesley University, 8 vs. VTSU Lyndon, 3 (7 inn.)
Lesley University, 4 vs. VTSU Lyndon, 7

Records: 
Lesley Lynx (23-14, 13-5 NAC)
VTSU Hornets (7-27, 6-10 NAC)

Location: Lyndonville, Vt. – Skip Pound Complex

Date: Saturday, May 4, 2024

THE LEAD – The Lesley University baseball team settled for a split with VTSU Lyndon in Saturday's North Atlantic Conference doubleheader, taking Game 1 8-3 before falling in Game 2, 7-4.  The Game 1 victory helped the squad clinch a berth to the 2024 NAC postseason tournament.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GM 1)

• The Lynx took the lead in the top of the second inning.  With one out, Colby Jacobs reached on an error.  One out later, Kevin Dorsey's base hit moved Jacobs to third.  Jacobs then stole home on the back half of a double steal attempt, where Dorsey got caught in a rundown.
• Lesley made it 2-0 in the third inning.  Christian McElroy drew a leadoff walk.  Following Owen Kalagher's base hit and Ian Dempsey's sacrifice bunt, Adam Budorick beat out an infield hit, scoring McElroy on the play.
• Lyndon got a run back in the home half of the third inning.  With two out, TJ Santaw singled and Nolan Barber drew a walk.  Tyler Murro followed with a base hit back up the middle, driving in Santaw.
• Lesley opened some breathing room in the top of the fourth inning.  Jake Samela and Kalagher both drew walks, then came around to score on Dempsey's triple.  Then James Brandon reached on an error, allowing Dempsey to score, and extending the Lynx advantage to 5-1.
• The Hornets drew closer in the bottom of the fifth inning.  Dalton Berry started things with a one-out base hit.  After Santaw singled and Barber beat out a bunt single, Lyndon had the bases loaded.  Murro reached on a fielder's choice, driving in Berry, then Matt Gonyeau singled to drive in Santaw to cut the Lesley lead to 5-3.
• The Lynx broke things open in the top of the seventh inning.  Budorick beat out an infield hit, then Caden Shott singled.  Jacobs doubled, driving in both runners, and moved to third on a Hornet error.  Samela grounded out, driving in Jacobe with the eighth Lynx run.
• That would be how things ended.  Dylan Langston went five innings, allowing six hits and striking out seven against two walks to earn the win.  Jacob Nemergut pitched two scoreless innings of relief to pick up the save.  Lyndon starter Nathan Bigelow surrendered five runs, three of them earned, and six hits in absorbing the loss.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS (GM 1)

• Jacobs finished the game at 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.
• Budorick added two hits, a stolen base, a run, and an RBI.
• Langston moves to 6-1 on the year to share the NAC league-lead in wins.
• Murro paced VTSU with two hits and two RBI while Santaw added two hits and two runs scored.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GM 2)

• Lesley took the early lead with an unearned run in the top of the first inning.  With two out, Brandon and Budorick were hit by pitches and Shott walked.  When Jacobs reached on an error, Brandon scored to put Lesley in front.
• The Hornets got their bats going in the home half of the first inning.  Santaw beat out an infield hit leading off.  Barber and Murro then beat out back-to-back bunts.  An errant throw on Murrow's bunt allowed Santaw to score.  After Matt Doherty walked, Alberto Bustamante lofted a foul sacrifice fly down the right field line, driving in Barber.  Anthony Ness then delivered a two-run single to make it 4-1, Hornets.
• Lesley got one back in the top of the second inning, plating another unearned run.  Dylan Mills singled leading off, then moved to second on a passed ball and third on a wild pitch.  He came home on Kalagher's ground out.
• In the bottom of the third inning, Murrow walked leading off then Ryan Alt was hit by a pitch.  When Bustamante walked, the bases were loaded.  Nurro scored when Ness grounded out, giving Lyndon a 5-2 lead.
• Lesley was able to cut the margin back to two in the top of the fifth inning when Brandon doubled, then scored on Shott's base hit.  However, the Hornets wasted little time in answering, as Alt homered leading off the bottom half of the frame.
• Lesley tried to rally in the top of the seventh inning.  With one out, Dempsey singled, then moved to second on a wild pitch.  After Brandon walked, Budorick singled to center field, driving in Dempsey.  However, the Hornets were able to get out of the inning without any further damage.
• Lyndon added an unearned insurance run in the bottom of the seventh inning.  Alt singled leading off, then Bustamante reached on an error.  Pinch hitter Kearson Grisham walked to load the bases with two outs.  Berry's two-out single back up the middle drove in Alt.
• That would prove to be more than enough for Lyndon left hander Carlos Rodriguez. After relieving Hornet starter Sean Cavanaugh in the third inning, Rodriguez got stronger as the game went on.  He retired the final eight batters he faced to earn the win.  Rodriguez struck out eight against two walks while allowing two runs and six hits over seven innings of relief.  Lesley starter Roy Lenhard took the loss.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS (GM 2)

• Alt and Santaw each finished with two hits.
• Ness registered three RBI for the Hornets.
• Shott was the only Lynx with a multi-hit game going 2-for-3.
• Patrick Teasdale worked an inning and a third of scoreless relief for LU with a pair of K's to lower his season ERA to 1.80.

UP NEXT

• The sides are set to do it again tomorrow starting at 11:00 AM.

*Release courtesy of VTSU Athletic Communications office