Baseball Falters Late, Loses 5-3 to Elms
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Elms | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 3 |
|
Mitchell | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
NEW LONDON, Conn. – A four-run seventh inning was enough to propel the Elms College baseball team to a 5-3 victory over Mitchell College on Thursday afternoon at Alumni Field in the opener of the three-game New England Collegiate Conference series.
Trailing 3-0 in the seventh, the Blazers tied the game with three RBI singles and took the lead on a sacrifice fly by Nolan Medeiros. Elms added another run in the ninth for insurance but wouldn't need it, as starter Tom Weldon and reliever Kyle Bartlett each worked out of late jams to preserve the lead.
Junior Gavin LaLima had two hits and knocked in a run for the Mariners, who finished with only five hits in the contest.
Mitchell scored twice in the second inning to open up a 2-0 lead. LaLima plated the first run with a two-out single through the right side, and the second run scored from third when Weldon was called for a balk. The Mariners then tacked on another run in the fourth on a RBI single to center by junior Blaze Iannetti to extend the lead to 3-0.
Mitchell starting pitcher Axel De Jesus worked quickly through the first six innings, scattering four hits while not allowing a base runner past second. That all changed in the seventh thanks to a fortuitous bounce for the Blazers.
Geoff Frost and Jordan Zima each singled to start the frame, and after De Jesus struck out the next batter to record the first out, Tim Gelzinis hit a ground ball to third that looked to be an easy out. However, the ball hit off the bag and popped over the third baseman, and Frost scored with the first Elms run. The Blazers took advantage of their good fortune and followed with back-to-back singles from Aedin Wadja and Brady Forrest to tie the game, and Medeiros brought in the go-ahead run with a fly ball to center.
Mitchell packed the bags with one out in the home half of the seventh but came up empty. Weldon worked his way out of trouble by getting a ground ball to third that resulted in a force out at the plate. He then struck out the final batter he faced on three pitches to keep the Blazers in front.
Bartlett took the ball in the eighth and walked the first batter he faced. The Mariners moved the runner to second with a sacrifice bunt, but Bartlett got Iannetti to line into a double play to end the threat.
Elms added a run in the ninth on a Mitchell throwing error but wouldn't need it. Bartlett set the Mariners down in order in the ninth to earn his first save of the season. He tossed 2.0 innings of hitless relief and walked only the one batter. Weldon (2-3 overall) gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits and struck out seven while walking two.
Wadja went 3-for-4 with from the ninth spot to lead the Blazers at the plate. Frost and Gelzinis also finished with a pair of hits each.
De Jesus (2-2 overall) allowed four runs (two earned) on eight hits and struck out five.
Elms (8-11 overall, 4-3 NECC) will host Mitchell (13-11-1 overall, 7-6 NECC) for the final two games of the series on Saturday, April 19 at 1 p.m.
