WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Junior T.J. Sempkowski (Oceanport, N.J.) went six for seven on the day as the Becker baseball team swept their non-conference doubleheader against New England College Tuesday afternoon with scores of 10-2 and 12-8. The sweep lifts the Hawks record to 6-5, while the Pilgrims fall to 1-5.
GAME ONE:
T.J. Sempkowski went four for four with four runs scored and three RBI. Sophomore Randall Minogue (Kingstown, R.I.) turned in a three for three game with a pair of runs scored, while Christopher Testa (Providence, R.I.) chipped in with two hits and three runs.
Vaibhav Desai (Waltham, Mass.) earned his first win of the season after allowing two runs on 12 hits while striking out three.
The Hawks jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Sempkowski put the Hawks on the board with a two-out single through the left side of the infield to score Josiah Shepherd (Providence, R.I.). After Randall Minogue singled, Niko Bedell (Manorville, N.Y.) hit a fly ball into the binding sun, which was misplayed, allowing Sempkowski and Minogue to score.
After the Pilgrims cut the Hawks lead to 3-2, Becker answered with three more runs in the top of the third. Niko Bedell drove in the first run with a bases loaded single to plate Christopher Testa. Kevin Perez (Jersey City, N.J.) capped the inning with a two-run single to right center to give the Hawks a 6-2 advantage.
Becker would add a pair of runs in the top of the sixth and seventh to earn the 10-2 victory.
GAME TWO:
New England College jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after plating runs in the top of the first and third innings.
Becker would respond with six runs in the bottom of the third. Nick Harriman (Harrisville, R.I.) led off the inning while a double to left. After Gabriel Bovenzi (Shirley, N.Y.) bunted Harriman to third, Daniel Diaz (Teaneck, N.J.) hit an infield single to cut the Pilgrims lead to 2-1. After a walk by Trevor Read (Colorado Springs, Colo.) put runners on first and second, Christopher Testa tied the game with a single up the middle. A walk by T.J. Sempkowski would load the bases for Niko Bedell, who singled through the right side, to put the Hawks up 3-2. With two out in the inning, freshman Evan Barrera (West Warwick, R.I.) cleared the bases with a triple into the left centerfield gap, upping the Hawks lead to 6-2.
The Hawks added a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth on RBI singles by Christopher Testa and T.J. Sempkowski.
The Pilgrims made things interesting when they scored four runs in the top half of the fifth inning to cut the Becker lead to 8-6. Becker added what proved to be the game winning run in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Sean Stone (Blackstone, Mass.).
Christopher Testa went three for four in the game with three runs scored and two RBI. T.J. Sempkowski capped off his stellar day with two hits, two runs and two RBI, while Niko Bedell gathered a pair of hits with two RBI.
Sean Simas (Cambridge, Mass.) earned the win after allowing six runs in four and two-thirds innings of work. Michael Bovenzi (Shirley, N.Y.) killed the Pilgrims rally with one and third innings of relief, while Jorge Grullon (Worcester, Mass.) tossed a perfect seventh inning as the Hawks held on for a 12-8 victory.
