Baseball Slugs Past Daniel Webster in Series Finale

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College baseball team came out on top of a 14-10 slugfest against Daniel Webster College on Sunday afternoon in the final game of the weekend series between the New England Collegiate Conference rivals.

The two sides combined for a total of 31 hits in the contest. Eight of nine starters finished with a hit for the Mariners (13-10-1 overall, 7-5 NECC) led by three apiece for Gavin LaLima and Marc Dorsi. Erick Bourdeau and Manny Cabral each had four hits and combined for three home runs to lead Daniel Webster (6-14 overall, 3-7 NECC).

Mitchell came out swinging in the first inning and pushed across a pair of runs to take an early 2-0 lead. LaLima and Kevin Toro reached base with an infield hit and a bunt, respectively, and later scored on a single up the middle by Kenneth Olszewski.

Daniel Webster loaded the bases with one out in the second but only got one run out of it thanks to a pair of stellar defensive plays in the outfield. On the first play, Dan Ierardi drilled a shot over Toro's head in left that sent him back on a dead sprint. He timed his jump perfectly and took away extra bases from Ierardi, though Clint Goodwin was able to tag up and score the first run of the game for the Eagles. After a walk to Devin DeCarteret loaded the bases again, Kyle Brigham hit a ball to the track in right that Neftali Arroyo snagged before tumbling over the fence.

The Mariners batted around in the home half of the second and plated five runs to break the game open. Dorsi and Olszewski each had RBI singles in the frame while Evan Peck delivered a two-run double to record his 100th career hit.

The Eagles got two runs back in the third on a two-run blast by Cabral, but the Mariners countered with four runs in the bottom of the inning. LaLima drove in two with a single to right, Dorsi knocked in one with a single up the middle and Olszewski brought home one on a sacrifice fly to right.

The first six batters reached base for the Eagles in the fifth. Brigham led off with a triple to left and scored on a double off the left field fence by Bourdeau, a hit that closed the book on Mitchell starter Mike Tandy. Reliever Axel De Jesus got off to a slow start, giving up singles to Cabral and Dan Quinn followed by back-to-back walks to Goodwin and Jon Moquin. Daniel Webster pushed across a total of three runs before De Jesus settled down and retired the next three batters to leave the bases loaded.

Mitchell packed the bags with no outs in the fifth and scored three runs. Peck, Arroyo and Rafael Garcia all drove in a run during the rally, though DWC reliever Mike Patane did well to limit the damage by getting a strikeout and double play to end the threat. 

Daniel Webster scored its final four runs courtesy of the long ball. Cabral connected on his second of the day to lead off the eighth, sending a rocket over the fence down the left field line. Bourdeau added a three-run shot with two outs in the ninth to bring the final tally to 14-10. Cabral now has three homers on the season while Bourdeau brought his total to two.

De Jesus tossed 4.0 innings of relief to earn the win and improved to 2-1 on the season. He gave up two runs on seven hits and struck out two while walking two. Daniel Webster starter Derek Dolan lasted 2.1 innings and gave up 10 runs (four earned) on 10 hits in the loss.

Mitchell will next host Elms College for a single game on Thursday, April 17 at 3:30 p.m. Daniel Webster returns to action at Norwich University on Tuesday, April 15 at 3 p.m.