MILTON, Mass. – Curry College dropped both games of a doubleheader against visiting Western New England in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) baseball action Sunday afternoon in Milton. The Colonels absorbed a 14-5 loss in the opener, and couldn’t complete a comeback bid in the second game, falling 6-3. Curry is now 5-13-2 on the season (3-5 CCC), while the Golden Bears now stand at 19-7 (9-1 CCC).
GAME ONE
In the opener, WNE scored seven runs in the second inning to take an early 7-0 edge. The inning was highlighted by a two RBI double to left off the bat of senior Kyle McKelvey (Schenectady, N.Y.). Both teams plated three runs in the third frame resulting in a 10-3 Golden Bears lead. Colonels’ senior Matt Rodriguez (Quincy, Mass.) recorded a two RBI double to right field in the inning.
After allowing a run in the fourth, Curry scored two more runs after junior Matt O’Neill (Milton, Mass.) singled to shortstop. WNE plated the final three runs of the game in the sixth inning to account for the 14-5 final.
Senior Mike Lospinuso (West Islip, N.Y.) went the distance and improved to 5-1 on the season with the win. Lospinuso surrendered 13 hits and five earned runs while striking out three. Sophomore Chris Kingsley (Middleboro, Mass.) absorbed the loss, falling to 0-4. Kingsley allowed five hits and one earned run in 1.2 innings of work.
GAME TWO
In the second game, the Golden Bears scored four runs in the first, including a three-run bomb to left hit by sophomore Stephen Buckley (Monroe, Conn.). Sophomore Tanner Givens (Hamden, Conn.) recorded an RBI in the third to trim the Colonels’ deficit to three. In the fifth frame, WNE plated a run and extended its lead back to four (5-1).
With two runners in scoring position in the sixth inning, Curry freshman Tim Lathrop (Colchester, Conn.) recorded two RBI with a single to left and brought the Colonels to within two (5-3). Later in the inning, Curry had two outs with runners on second and third again, but was unable to capitalize. The Golden Bears scored the final run of the game in the seventh, extending their lead to three (6-3).
Junior Brendan Nugent (Milford, Conn.) picked up the win (5-1), allowing seven hits and three earned runs in 5.2 innings of work on the mound. Senior Kevin Jefferis (Cheshire, Conn.) recorded his third save on the season, allowing two hits and no runs in 1.1 innings pitched. Senior Corey Pierro (Essex, Mass.) absorbed the loss (1-2), surrendering eight hits and three earned runs in six innings on the mound.
The Colonels return to action on Monday, hosting Eastern Nazarene for a conference doubleheader beginning at 2:00 p.m., while WNE hosts Wheaton in a non-conference game starting at 3:30 p.m.
