QUINCY, Mass. - Eastern Nazarene dueled with Curry College in Commonwealth Coast Conference play on Friday afternoon at Adams Field. Curry took the early game 12-6 and although the Lions rallied from five runs down to tie the game in the seventh in the nightcap, the Colonels mustered a three-run eighth to take the contest 8-5 in extra inning play.
The first game was back and forth, and saw a flurry of offensive production. The Colonels went up 1-0 in the first, but did not hold the advantage for long, as ENC posted three runs in its half of the inning to take a 3-1 lead.
Curry responded with a big second, scoring three runs of its own to go ahead briefly at 4-3, but the Lions’ tacked on another run later in the inning to tie the game.
The third came to end with the score deadlocked at 6-6. Eastern Nazarene found itself down a run with two outs on the scoreboard after a controversial play that saw sophomore Ryan Garza (Elsa, Texas) out on a force-out at first. The call served its purpose, however, as it fueled a rally which saw the Lions bring the game back to even.
The Colonels exploded in the fourth and fifth, registering five runs on five hits to take a commanding 11-6 lead.
The final Colonels’ run came in the sixth. A full scoreless inning later, Curry pocketed the 12-6 win.
Senior Jeremy Cook (Hatfield, Pa.) took the loss for ENC, pitching 3.1 innings and giving up eight runs on eight hits and seven walks.
The victor in the contest was senior Matt Drew (Waltham, Mass.). He threw a complete game and allowed six runs on 11 hits and two walks.
Senior Steve Doyle (Weymouth, Mass.) put together another big game for Eastern Nazarene, going 3-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Classmate Danny Rodriguez (Bronx, N.Y.) posted two hits in the game and an RBI, and sophomore Anthony Berroa (Teaneck, N.J.) plated 3 runs and tallied two knocks of his own.
Junior Shayne McDonald (Cambridge, Mass.) and senior Carlos Cornejo (Lake Forest, Calif.) collected three hits apiece for the Colonels, while Sam Barron (Florence, Mass.)and Kyle Connors (Stoughton, Mass.) amassed two, respectively.
The Lions and the Colonels were even in the hit column with 11 for each squad.
In game two, Berroa faced off against freshman Thomas Fitzpatrick (South Boston, Mass.).
The Colonels reinforced their freshman hurler’s effort early, scoring a run in the first, a run in the second, two runs in the fourth and one fifth to take a 5-0 lead.
The battle appeared to be dwindling for the Lions, when freshman E.J. Estrada (Alpharetta, Ga.) came to the plate in the sixth. Refusing to surrender, Estrada doubled to left center and stole third to put his team in scoring position. Doyle came up next, and batted Estrada on a single to right. Sophomore Max Pugh (San Diego, Calif.) hit a base knock next, pushing Doyle to third.
With runners on first and third it was Rodriguez’ turn. The Lions’ first baseman capitalized, thumping a 3-run homerun over the left field fence to narrow the margin to 5-4.
Berroa got the two quick strikeouts for the Lions in the seventh, and a ground-out brought ENC back to the plate with the opportunity to tie the game.
Freshman Rocco Martinelli (Panama City, Panama) and sophomore Dave Manning (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) both walked put two on for Estrada, who was hit by a pitch to load the bases for junior Mike Chiaradio (Teaneck, N.J.). After a Colonels’ pitching change, Chiaradio drew another walk to earn the game-tying RBI for Eastern Nazarene. With just one out, things were looking promising for the Lions, but it was not meant to be, as the Colonels turned a double play on the next batter to get out of the inning.
The eighth began with a double from the Colonels’ junior Matt Rodriguez (Quincy, Mass.). Next to reach base was senior David Stevens (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) who was hit by Berroa. Sophomore Cam Despres (Sterling, Mass.) walked next to load the bases for Curry, and classmate Brandon Lewis (Barrington, R.I.) tripled down the left field line, collecting 3 RBI’s and giving his team the 8-5 lead.
Relief pitcher, junior Corey Pierro (Essex, Mass.) got three quick outs in the eighth to win the game for Curry. He improves to 2-0 with the 1.2 inning effort.
Berroa (0-6) took the loss for ENC. He struck out eight, walked three and gave up seven hits in eight innings of work.
Fitzpatrick went 6.1 innings for CC, gave up six hits, five runs, struck out five and walked two.
Pugh went 2-4 in the late contest with a run scored. Rodriguez picked up a hit and 3 RBI’s, and Chiaradio, Doyle and Estrada registered the remaining Lions’ hits with one each.
McDonald, who went 5-8 on the day, tallied a double and a triple hits in game two, with two runs scored for Curry. Lewis and Stevens also hit triples in the nightcap.
With its sweep, Curry’s record bumps up 10-15 overall and 7-1 in conference. Eastern Nazarene dips to 4-23 and 2-8 in the CCC.
The Lions will face Roger Williams University in a CCC doubleheader on April 14th beginning at 12:30pm. Curry is slated to take on Western New England April 15th in a 12:00pm/2:30pm twinbill. (Recap courtesy of ENC Sports Information)
