Buzzards Bay, MA - Sophomore Carlos Rodriguez (La Mirada, CA) turned in a stellar performance on the mound to lead the Northern Vermont University-Lyndon baseball team to a 7-2 victory over Massachusetts Maritime Academy in the opener of Sunday's non-conference doubleheader. The hosts rallied for a 15-7 win in the nightcap to garner a split on the day. Lyndon is now 3-7 on the season, while Mass Maritime moves to 6-4.
Game 1 - NVU-Lyndon 7, Mass Maritime 2
The Buccaneeers drew first blood in the home half of the first inning. Zach Sylvia beat out an infield hit leading off and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Brett Velzis then tripled to score Sylvia and scored himself on a ground out.
Lyndon couldn't get anything going early on, as Mass Maritime starter Charles MacPherson kept the Hornets hitless the first time through the batting order. Things changed in the top of the fourth, however, as Lyndon errupted for six runs. TJ Santaw (Newport, VT) doubled leading off. After Tyler Murro (Littleton, NH) walked, Dylan Wilson (Monroe, CT) singled to score Santaw with Lyndon's first run. Matt Doherty (Gardner, MA) beat out a bunt single to load the bases then Dale Ostermann (Milford, DE) reached on an error, plating Murro with the tying run. Will Perkins (Holtswood, PA) delivered a bases clearing triple to right center to give Lyndon the lead and scored when Alberto Bustamante (Los Angeles, CA) reached on the second Buccaneer error of the inning.
That would be more than enough run support for Rodriguez, as he settled in over the final six innings. He held the Buccaneers scoreless over the final six frames and only allowed one base hit after the third inning. Rodriguez struck out seven for the game.
Doherty would drive in Santaw with an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning to account for the final score.
Rodriguez earned his second win of the season, while MacPherson took the loss.
Game 2 - Mass Maritime 15, NVU-Lyndon 7
Mass Maritime wasted little tme jumping on Hornet pitching in the nightcap. The hosts would score three runs in the home half of the first inning and never look back. With one out, Lyndon starteer Nathan Bigelow (East Hampton, CT) hit Jake Quillan. After Veliz walked, both runners moved up on a wild pitch. John Tropea's base hit drove in both runners. Tropea then scored on Aidan Henderson's double to make it 3-0.
The Buccaneers broke the game open with a six run third inning. The big blow was Tropea's two-run triple.
The Hornets would respond with six runs of their own in the top of the fourth inning. Steven Friscia (Smithtown, NY) delivered a two-run single. Later in the inning, Oscar Paredes' (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) pinch hit two-run home run brought the Hornets within 9-6.
That would be as close as Lyndon would get, as Mass Maritime added a run in the fourth inning, four in the fifth, and one in the sixth.
Michael Logiudice, the second of three Mass Maritime pitchers, picked up the won. Bigelow took the loss.
the Hornets are off until next Sunday, when they travel to Fisher College for another non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm.
