Hornets split season finale with Panthers

LYNDON CENTER, Vt. – The Lyndon State College baseball team finished out the 2016 season splitting a doubleheader with Plymouth State University Tuesday afternoon.  The Hornets took the first game 5-2 while the Panthers grabbed the second game by the same score of 5-2.

Game 1

Lyndon jumped on the board in the bottom of the first inning with one run as David Laroche (Franklin, Vt.) singled through the left side to score Aaron Catalani (Colorado Springs, Colo.) from second base.

After a scoreless second inning, the Panthers tied it up in the third.  With one out, Cam Ruziak tripled and then came home on a single from Jake Broom on the next at-bat.

The Hornets quickly took the lead back in the bottom of the inning with two runs.  Reece Tanguay (Essex Junction, Vt.) singled to left with the bases loaded to bring in Ryan Cordeiro (Rollinsford, N.H.) and Catalani for a 3-1 lead.

The Hornets picked up two more runs in the fourth to take a 5-1 lead.  Ian Machia (Enosburg Falls, Vt.) scored from third as Catalani reached on an error.  Devon Rollins (Winooski, Vt.) then scored on a first and third double-steal as Catalani swiped second.

The Panthers capped off the scoring for the game with a run in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Broom that scored Josh Goulet to bring the score to 5-2.

Catalani went 2-for-3 at the plate while scoring two runs and batting in one.

Neil Robinson (Stoddard, N.H.) picked up the win on the hill, giving up one run on two hits in two innings.

Game 2

Again, the Hornets jumped on top in the bottom of the first but this time putting up two runs.  With Rollins on third, Andre Eason Jr. (Waterbury, Conn.) roped one up the middle to plate Rollins.  After stealing second and moving to third on a ground out, Eason scored on a passed ball to give Lyndon a 2-0 start.

In the top of the third Nate Frederick doubled to left to bring in two, tying the game at 2-2.

The Panthers added two more runs in the fourth to take the lead 4-2.  Ruziak crossed home on a wild pitch and then two batters later Justin Walsh scored on a single from Eric Leitch.

Ruziak scored again in the top of the sixth when Walsh smashed a triple to right center, giving the Panthers the 5-2 lead which they would hold through final two innings.

Cordeiro recorded two hits for the Hornets, including a triple, while Eason registered one hit, one run, and one RBI.

Sean Engel picked up the win on the mound for the Panthers going four innings while giving up three hits and one earned run.  James Garnett pitched a scoreless seventh inning to pick up the save.

The Hornets finish the season 11-28 overall and 6-18 in the North Atlantic Conference.

The Panthers (19-19, 6-6 LEC) finish out the regular season Friday against Western Connecticut.