Natoli, Tompkins & Phillips Power Baseball Past Nichols

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Nichols (8-19)	0	1	0	2	0	3	0	0	3	9	11	0
Becker (16-17)	1	0	3	0	2	4	0	2	X	12	15	2
@ Leicester, Mass. | Rochdale Park

Pitching
Win: Tony Cantalupo (1-3) - Becker
Loss: Ray Curto (1-5) - Nichols
Save: Mike Schoen (1) - Becker

Nichols Batting
2B: Cody Jankins; John Micciche
3B: none
HR: none

Becker Batting
2B: Tom Natoli; Austin Phillips; Eric Lajoie
3B: Todd Tompkins
HR: none

full stats

Leicester, Mass. – Junior Tom Natoli drove in four runs to propel Becker College to a 12-9 victory over Nichols College in non-conference baseball action Tuesday afternoon at Rochdale Park. The win lifts the Hawks to 16-17, while the Bison fall to 8-19.

Becker got the scoring started in the bottom of the first inning when Weston Meehan (Thomson, Ga.) hit a two out, RBI single up the middle, scoring Todd Tompkins (West Haven, Conn.) from second base.

Nichols responded with a run in the top of the second inning when Brett Jackson (Larchmont, N.Y.) earned a bases-loaded walk, scoring Evan Thompson (Longmeadow, Mass.) from third.

In the bottom of the third the Hawks scored three runs, taking a 4-1 lead.  Mike Smith (Warner, N.H.) and Todd Tompkins earned back to back walks to start the inning. Tom Natoli (Suffern, N.Y.) drove both runners home when he roped a double into the right field corner, giving Becker a 3-1 advantage. Natoli scored the Hawks fourth run of the game on an Austin Phillips (Thomson, Ga.) RBI single.

The Bison chipped away at their deficit in the top of the fourth inning when they plated two runs. Brett Jackson and Bryan Gill (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) started things up for Nichols when they successfully executed a double steal. With runners at second and third, Richie Burke (Newburyport, Mass.) lifted a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Jackson from third. Junior Cody Jankins (West Brookfield, Mass.) brought the Bison within one run when he singled home Gill, cutting the Hawks lead to 4-3.

The Hawks continued their offensive attack in the bottom of the fifth when they scored two more runs. Todd Tompkins and Weston Meehan led off the inning with consecutive singles, chasing Nichols starting pitcher Brett Lewis (North Attleboro, Mass.) from the game. Tom Natoli welcomed Bison reliever Ray Curto (Braintree, Mass.) to the mound with an RBI single, scoring Tompkins for the Hawks fifth run of the day. A Mike Marcello (West Haven, Conn.) sacrifice fly scored Meehan from third, putting Becker in front 6-3.

The Bison tied the game in the top the sixth inning when they scored three more runs. With one out in the inning, Bryan Gill and Richie Burke earned successive walks. Cody Jankins brought Gill home with a single up the middle, cutting the Hawks lead to 6-4.  The next hitter, John Micciche (Holbrook, Mass.), tied the game at 6-6 with a double to deep centerfield, scoring Burke and Jankins.

The Hawks took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth when they tallied four more runs. After Eric Lajoie (Oakham, Mass.) led off the inning with a double down the left field line, Joe Corey (Billerica, Mass.) followed with his 162nd career hit, tying him with Joe DeLuca for the all-time hits lead at Becker College. Todd Tompkins continued his tremendous day when he drove in Lajoie with a single to left field. Tom Natoli brought in his fourth run of the game when he hit a sacrifice fly to right field. Mike Marcello and Austin Phillips added RBI's in the inning, giving Becker a 10-6 lead.

The Bison made the game interesting in the top of the ninth when they scored three more runs. Junior hurler Mike Schoen earned the save after he (Yorktown, N.Y.) came in to get the final three outs of the game, including a crucial double play ball with the bases loaded. Tony Cantalupo (DePere, Wisc.) was awarded the win after pitching two scoreless innings.

Ray Curto took the loss for the Bison after tossing four innings, allowing six runs on nine hits.