Baseball Takes Series Finale at Becker

LEICESTER, Mass. -- Mitchell College pounded out 16 hits on its way to a 9-3 win over Becker College in New England Collegiate Conference baseball action Sunday afternoon.

Mitchell took two of the three games from the NECC leaders over the weekend. The Mariners improved to 9-9-1 overall and 5-4 in NECC play while the Hawks dropped to 8-10 overall and 6-4 in league action.

Mitchell got the scoring started in the top of the second inning when junior Peter McTernan drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single.

The Mariners added to their lead in the top of the third when they plated four more runs. With runners on second and third, junior Evan Peck scored both runners with a double into the right-center gap, putting Mitchell in front 4-0. After sophomore Neftali Arroyo earned a walk, junior Ryan Goodwin drove in two more runs with a double to right to make the score 6-0.

Becker finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth when TJ Sempkowski brought home Nikko Bedell with a  sacrifice fly to center. The Hawks cut the deficit to 6-2 in the bottom of the fifth on a Randall Minogue RBI triple.

After the teams exchanged runs in the seventh, the Mariners put the game out of reach in the top of the ninth when they scored two more runs. With runners on first and second, junior Rafael Garcia doubled down the left field line, scoring pinch runner Lucas Mariani and Peck with the final runs of the game.

Peck and junior Kevin Toro each finished with four hits in the game. Both Toro and Garcia each hit a pair of doubles as the Mariners ended the day with seven extra-base hits.

Mitchell starting pitcher Mike Tandy earned the win after tossing 6.0 innings, allowing two runs on nine hits. Freshman Axel De Jesus earned his second save of the season after pitching the final three innings.

Becker starter Nick Lemay suffered his first loss of the season, allowing seven runs in 7.1 innings of work.

Both teams return to the diamond tomorrow, April 7, with Becker traveling to Framingham State at 4 p.m., while the Mariners host Maine Presque Isle in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.