BROCKTON, Mass. – The Becker College baseball team split a New England Collegiate Conference doubleheader against Newbury College Saturday evening at Campanelli Stadium. Becker took the first game 6-5, before dropping the nightcap 8-2.
Game 1: Becker 6, Newbury 5
Becker jumped on the scoreboard first, scoring twice in the top of the second but Newbury answered with two runs of their own in the home half. The Hawks were able to push across two more runs an inning later to take the two-run, 4-2, lead and they did not look back.
In the bottom of the fourth, Barnett ripped a two-out opposite field single to plate junior shortstop C.J. Ingraham(Georgetown, Mass.) to cut the deficit to 4-3. It remained a one-run ballgame until the top of the sixth when Becker grabbed another two insurance runs to extend their lead three, 6-3, which they need.
After the Nighthawks scored once in the sixth to pull within two of the lead, they kept the pressure on the Hawk relievers. Following back-to-back singles by junior center Ian Hruniak (Lutz, Fla.) and Ingraham to load the bases with one out in the seventh, senior third baseman Ryan Zahornasky (Shelton, Conn.) lifted a towering fly ball to center to bring home sophomore James McGrorry (Oakhurst, N.J.) for the fifth run. But it was all the Nighthawks got.
Junior right-hander Tyler Wager (Uxbridge, Mass.) settled down to earn his third save of the season allowing just one run on three hits in the seventh. Senior Nick Lemay (Oxford, Mass.) earned his third victory of the season going five complete innings allowing just three earned runs on nine hits while striking out three.
Game 2: Newbury 8, Becker 2
The Nighthawks gave game two starter sophomore right-hander Jacob Pringle (Acushnet, Mass.) plenty of run support, scoring seven runs in the first two innings against Hawk starter first year Michael Bovenzi (Shirley, N.Y.) to take the 7-1 lead. It was more than enough for the South Shore native to pick up his third win of the season, improving to 3-4, allowing two runs – only one earned on seven hits while striking out four Hawks.
In addition to Center's four-RBI night, Zahornasky and Barnett combined to go 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored from the middle of the Nighthawk line-up. Sophomore backstop Mitchell Walsh (Westport, Mass.) chipped in going 2-for-4 from the bottom of the line-up.
Hawk sophomore centerfielder Josiah Shepherd (Providence, R.I.) led Becker going 2-for-2 as he finished the night going 4-for-6 with three RBI from the lead-off spot of the line-up. Bovenzi took the loss allowing seven runs on six hits in two innings, dropping him to 2-4 on the year.
Following the split, Newbury improves to 13-21 and 3-13 in the conference while Becker drops to 15-20 and 9-8 in the NECC. The two teams return to the diamond tomorrow afternoon for the rubber game at 12:00 p.m. in Leicester, Mass. A Becker win or a Lesley loss against Mitchell will clinch the Hawks seventh consecutive NECC Tournament appearance.
