SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Curry College Baseball team dropped a pair of games at Western New England University, 11-8 and 8-3, in a battle of top teams in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) at Trelease Park. The Golden Bears improved to 19-9 overall and took over first place in the conference with a 9-1 mark. The Colonels slip to 7-3 in the CCC play and 10-17 overall.
Game 1 – Western New England 11, Curry 8
In a wild affair, WNE scored five runs in the sixth inning to battle back from an 8-6 deficit. Junior left fielder Taylor Perun (Plainville, CT) delivered a clutch two-out, two-run double that landed on the warning track near the 385-foot sign in left center. Senior designated hitter Mike Taylor (Andover, MA) followed with a run-scoring to cap the comeback.
Taylor finished 4-for-4, which included a two-run homer that gave the Golden Bears a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Junior shortstop Kyle McKelvey (Schenectady, NY) reached base three times with a walk, single, and three-run homer that gave WNE a 6-5 lead in the fifth.
Curry scored three times in the sixth to go ahead by two runs following a bases loaded triple by junior center fielder Shayne McDonald (Cambridge, MA) who had four RBI in the game, including a single that produced a run in the third.
Western New England made three errors in the game that led to four unearned runs, but overcame the miscues with its timely hitting.
Junior second baseman Tim Clark (West Springfield, MA) and junior third baseman Mike Rubino (Northford, CT) each contributed a pair of hits.
Freshman Trevor Breton (Enfield, CT) pitched five innings allowing five runs (one earned) and four hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Senior Mike Lawlor (Windsor, CT) (2-2) gained the win in relief despite giving up three runs and six hits with four strikeouts in two innings.
Curry totaled 10 hits with senior first baseman Matt Drew (Waltham, MA) going 3-for-4 with a run. The Colonels used three pitchers with freshman Michael Musser (Greenwich, CT) taking the loss in relief after allowing four runs and four hits with a walk in one-and-two-thirds innings.
Game 2 – Western New England 8, Curry 3
Junior Mike Lospinuso (West Islip, NY) had the first complete game of his career scattering eight hits while allowing two earned runs with a walk and three strikeouts. He is now 3-1.
Sophomore center fielder Jeff Schult (Wappingers Falls, NY) went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a RBI to lead the 10-hit attack. Rubino had another two-hit performance while Clark added a double and RBI.
Curry took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a run-scoring triple by junior catcher Matt Rodriquez (Quincy, MA) and RBI single by senior second baseman David Stevens (Deerfield Beach, CA).
WNE scored three times in the third to take a 4-2 advantage and then plated four runs with two outs in the sixth to open up a five-run lead. Schult and junior right fielder Matt Anthonis (Guilford, CT) each delivered RBI singles and Rubino knocked in the final run with a triple and then scored on an ensuing error.
Freshman left fielder R.J. McCann (Brockton, MA) had two singles for the Colonels who again used three pitchers. Junior starter Corey Pierro (Essex, MA) lost for the first time in three decisions. He gave up four runs and six hits in three innings with a walk and strikeout. (Recap courtesy of WNE Sports Information)
