Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
North Andover, Mass. – The Adelphi University baseball team swept a Northeast-10 Conference non-division doubleheader at Merrimack College on Sunday, edging the Warriors 1-0 in game one before surging to a 12-3 victory in the nightcap. The Panthers improve to 13-14-1 overall while Merrimack moves to 18-8 on the season.
Adelphi took game one without an RBI as
John Campbell snuck home from third as
Ray Triano stole second base in the third inning. One run was all starting pitcher
Jeff Andersen would need as the senior hurler tossed 7.1 shutout innings while scattering six hits and striking out three in the win.
Dillon McNamara picked up his seventh save of the season to become the team's active saves leader and extend his scoreless innings streak to 15.1 frames.
The Panthers cracked a season-high 19 hits in the nightcap and had five batters register multiple hits in the lopsided victory.
Vincent Sharkey recorded a career-best five hits and drove in three runs, while
Donato Signore batted 4-5 with an RBI, a stolen base and scored twice.
Nick Zito went 3-4 with two runs scored and drove in a run, and
Anthony Infante and
John Campbell each had two hits with a double and an RBI.
Jimmy Milani picked up the victory in five innings on the hill, allowing two runs on six hits with a pair of strikeouts.
Jonathon Mulford and
Nikolas Batas each threw a shutout inning of relief, and
James McCormack finished the game with 1.1 hitless innings and three K's.
Game One
A pitching-dominated opening contest would be decided on a third inning fielder's choice. The Panthers sent the minimum to the plate until Campbell singled to center with two away and Triano moved Campbell to third with another base hit. Triano then swiped second and allowed Campbell to score on the throw for the only run of the contest.
The Warriors had just one runner reach third base despite registering seven hits, three of which were doubles. A walk to load the bases gave Merrimack its best chance in the eighth, but McNamara induced a swinging strikeout and Eddie Newton got hung up trying to steal home for the inning-ending double play. McNamara picked up two more strikeouts in the ninth to slam the door on game one.
Game Two
The nightcap saw more offensive production, particularly from the Panthers, who pushed across 12 runs on 19 hits and took advantage of five Merrimack errors. The visitors got on the board in the first inning after Sharkey reached on an infield hit and moved to second on a throwing error. A flyout to right moved Sharkey to third and Infante's infield single plated the first run of the game.
Kevin Hutzel then drew a walk to put runners on first and second with two outs, setting the stage for Signore to lace an RBI single to left and make it a 2-0 game. Adelphi doubled its lead the following inning on Campbell's RBI double to left that brought home Zito, who had reached on an error as the leadoff man. Campbell later raced to third on a fielder's choice and crossed the plate on Sharkey's base hit through the left side.
The Warriors cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the second with two runs on three hits and an error. Matt Brown roped a one-out double to left and scored after a fielding error on Sean O'Neill's double. A wild pitch shuttled O'Neill to third and Newton made it hurt with a base hit that brought the score to 4-2.
It would be three innings before the Panthers would strike again, and a four-hit sixth frame put Adelphi in front 6-2. Signore and Zito recorded back-to-back singles, Signore swiped third base, and
Kyle Ambury poked a base hit down the right field line to plate a run with nobody out. After a pitching change, Campbell lifted what looked to be a sacrifice fly to left field, but Zito was cut down at home trying to score, setting the scene at two outs with a runner on first. A fielding error prolonged the inning, however, putting runners at second and third and allowing Sharkey to pick up an RBI single and give Adelphi a four-run lead.
Two more runs in the seventh made it an 8-2 advantage for Adelphi, beginning with Infante's leadoff two-bagger and a throwing error on Hutzel's bunt. A flyout shifted Hutzel to third and Zito lined an RBI single through the right side to bring Hutzel home. Merrimack threatened in the eighth after working a pair of walks to start the inning, but a fielder's choice and a strikeout put Warrior runners at the corners with two down. Newton's groundball to second looked as though it would end the inning, but a defensive miscue allowed a run to come acrosss and brought the score to 8-3.
Adelphi tacked on some insurance in the form of a four-run ninth on the strength of four hits, an error and a hit-by-pitch. Hutzel and Signore exchanged one-out singles, and Zito wore a pitch to load the bases. A fielding error brought Hutzel home, Campbell's single re-loaded the bags and Triano and Sharkey unloaded consecutive RBI base hits to plate the third and fourth runs of the inning. With a sizeable lead, McCormack attacked the Merrimack hitters in the ninth and struck out the side to finish the affair.
The Panthers return to William J. Bonomo Memorial Field on Tuesday for a non-league contest against former East Coast Conference rival LIU Post at 3:30 p.m.
Be sure to follow the Panthers on Facebook and Twitter for up to date news with all of Adelphi Athletics!
