Baseball Splits with Newbury

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Mitchell College and Newbury College split a baseball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon in New England Collegiate Conference play at Alumni Field. The Nighthawks took the first game 6-0 before the Mariners responded for a 4-3 win in the second.

Newbury starter Daniel Lumb the story of the opener, tossing a complete game shutout and taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning. He gave up one hit over 7.0 innings and struck out four while walking four, improving to 3-0 on the season.

In the second game, a RBI single by Mitchell junior Evan Peck broke a 3-3 stalemate and put the Mariners on top for good. Sophomore starter Tyler Shamas closed the door in the seventh, setting the Nighthawks down in order to improve to 3-1 in the complete game effort.

Newbury will host Mitchell for the series finale on Sunday, March 23 at Victory Field in Watertown, Mass. First pitch is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.

Game 1 – Newbury 6, Mitchell 0

Newbury put runners in scoring position in every inning and finished with 11 hits in the contest. Mitchell starter Al Jordan Johnson escaped trouble in both the first and second frames by picking off a runner at second base, but the Nighthawks came away with a pair of runs in both the third and fourth innings to take a 4-0 lead. David Dubay drove in the game's first two runs with a bases-loaded single down the third base line in the third, and Cameron D'Agostino added a RBI single in the fourth.

The Mariners avoided damage in the fifth and sixth by turning double plays to get out of the inning, but the Nighthawks tacked on two more runs in the seventh. With runners on second and third with two outs, Ryan Zahornasky worked the count full before dropping a fly ball into shallow right-center. The two-run single padded Newbury's lead to 6-0 heading into Mitchell's final turn at bat.

Lumb wouldn't need the extra run support, though after cruising through the first six innings he had to work through the seventh. Junior Raphael Garcia broke up the no-hit bid with a leadoff single through the left side of the infield, and later a pair of walks loaded the bases with two outs. However, Lumb struck out the final batter of the game to secure his second shutout of the season.

Johnson took the loss for the Mariners, lasting 6.2 innings and giving up four earned runs on 11 hits.

Game 2 – Mitchell 4, Newbury 3

A throwing error gave Mitchell its first base runner of the game in the bottom of the first, and the Mariners quickly took advantage of the miscue. Senior Marc Dorsi delivered a one-out single to left field that plated Garcia from second base to put Mitchell on top 1-0.

In the second inning, a single up the middle by senior Will Charkowsky made it 2-0. The Mariners then added another run when an infield single by junior Gavin LaLima was misplayed and allowed Charkowsky to score from second base.

A two-out error proved costly for Mitchell in the fifth, opening the door for a three-run inning by Newbury. With runners at first and second and two outs, pinch hitter Ryan Sinclair tapped a ball to the third base side of the mound, but the throw to first was high and sailed out of play. A run scored on the play and left the Nighthawks with runners on second and third, and C.J. Ingraham made the Mariners pay with a two-run single to center to tie the game at 3-3.

Dorsi singled to start the Mitchell sixth and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by senior Kenneth Olszewski. Peck then followed with a clutch single to right field to score the go-ahead run.

Shamas gave up three runs—none earned—on five hits over 7.0 innings while striking out one and walking two. Ethan Forrest also went the distance on the hill for the Nighthawks, giving up two earned runs on seven hits while striking out one.