AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Curry College baseball team earned a split with Becker College on Sunday at the RussMatt Invitational in Auburndale, Fla. The Colonels took the first game by a final of 12-5. The Hawks responded in game two with a 6-2 victory. Curry moves to 2-5 on the season while Becker evens up at 2-2.
GAME ONE
The Hawks got on the board first in frame number one. Becker manufactured a run after Chris Testa (Providence, R.I.) hit a sacrifice fly to center to drive in Evan Barrera (West Warwick, R.I.). Becker then put up three more runs in the top of the third to build a 4-0 lead on a three-run homer by Testa.
The Colonels responded in their half of the third, putting up eight runs on four hits. Alex McLean (Eliot, Maine) put Curry on the scoreboard on a single to left which brought in Adam Duarte (East Providence, R.I.). The next scoring play came after Mitchell Carvalho (Cranston, R.I.) reached on an error by the Becker shortstop that allowed John Cave (Tewksbury, Mass.) to score. Nick Crivello (Millville, Mass.) continued the Colonels rally with a groundout to third which sent Carvalho home. Two RBI singles followed for one and two runs, respectively and then McLean and Carvalho drew bases loaded walks to close out the frame.
Becker tallied one run in their half of the fourth as Randall Minogue (North Kingstown, R.I.) scored on a throwing error by the Curry third baseman. But in bottom of the fifth, Curry answered back and added to their lead after a two-run home run from McLean and then put up two more runs in the sixth.
McLean paced the Colonels, going 2-for-3 with four RBI's and two runs scored. Five Curry players finished with one hit apiece to power the offense in the victory. Testa led the Hawks going 1-for-3 with four RBI's and one run scored.
Tyler Nadeau (Somerset, Mass.) picked up the win in relief for the Colonels. The freshman tossed three and one thirds innings of shutout ball while giving up two hits, striking out two and walking one. Nicholas Hawrylciw (Amesbury, Mass.) was credited with the loss, going two and two thirds innings while giving up eight runs on four hits, walking five and striking out four.
GAME TWO
The first two innings featured no scoring from either side. The third inning started with a single by Carvalho and a single by McLean. With one out in the frame Keller doubled to score McLean to grab a 1-0 lead.
Becker answered back in the fourth on a leadoff home run by TJ Sempkowski (Oceanport, N.J.). Minouge followed with a triple to left center and then Barrera singled to third to send Minouge home to give the Hawks the 2-1 lead.
Becker then added to their lead in the fifth frame. Nick Harriman (Harrisville, R.I.) hit a ground rule double to start the scoring threat. Sempkowski then stepped to the plate and had a ground rule of his own to drive in Harriman and later in the frame Barrera singled up the middle to send Sempkowski home.
Curry put up one more run in the contest on a sacrifice fly by Moreau to drive in Crivello to close the scoring.
Becker tallied two more runs in the bottom of the sixth to give them the 6-2 victory and the split.
Six Colonels contributed one hit apiece while three Hawks put up two hits each in the nightcap. Tanyon Ventres (Holden, Mass.) was credited with the win, tossing seven innings and giving up two runs on six hits while walking three and walking five. Kevin Jones (Pembroke, Mass.) picked up the loss for Curry. The junior threw three innings of action, surrendering two runs on five hits while striking out two and walking three.
Curry will next play Monday against UMass-Boston at 3:15 p.m. in Auburndale, Fla. Becker returns to action Monday against Keene State at 12:45 p.m. in Auburndale, Fla.
