Northfield, VT - After Norwich University plated ten runs in the third inning of Thursday's baseball game, Northern Vermont University-Lyndon came storming back to within two runs on a pair of occasions. The Hornets were unable to complete the comeback, however, as the host Cadets escaped with a 13-10 non-conference victory. Norwich improved to 7-15 on the season while Lyndon fell to 3-17.
Norwich starter Matt Ingraffia and Lyndon starter Matt Gonyeau (St. Albans, VT) both cruised through two innings of work without yielding a run or a hit before being replaced. John Luchsinger replaced Ingraffia in the third and pitched out of trouble to keep the Hornets off the board.
In the bottom of the third inning Norwich sent 13 men to the plate and appeared to break the game open with ten runs on seven hits and three Lyndon errors. Geffen Franus had a two run triple and PJ Morales had a two-run double to spearhead the rally.
After a scoreless fourth inning, Lyndon finally got on the board in the top of the fifth. TJ Santaw (Newport, VT) laced a triple and scored when Will Perkins (Holtwood, PA) grounded out, giving the Hornets their first run.
After Alberto Bustamante (Los Angeles, CA) kept Norwich off the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth inning, Lyndon really got their bats going in the top of the sixth. Mark Osorio (Manchester, CT) and Kearson Grisham (Chocgtaw, MS) drew back to back walks to start the inning. EJ Camden (Corona, CA) and Jesael Garcia (Wimauma, FL) followed with RBI singles. The hit parade continued with doubles from Anthony Ness (Silver Springs, NV) and Santaw, a base hit from Perkins, and two more doubles from Dylan Wilson (Monroe, CT) and Ryan Alt (Poultney, VT). When the dust settled, the Hornets had cut the Norwich lead to 10-8.
Norwich pushed the lead back to three in the bottom of the sixth inning on Abel Oropeza's RBI single, but Lyndon got that run back in the seventh when Ness singled, moved to second and third on a pair of wild pitches, and scored when Perkins reached on an error. The Cadets then pushed across a pair of unearned runs in the home eighth inning to extend their lead to four.
Down to their last at bat, the Hornets loaded the bases with two out, bringing the tying run to the plate. One run came home on a wild pitch, but Norwich reliever Ben Emero, the seventh Cadet pitcher, got th final out to secure the win and earn a save.
Luchsinger picked up the win while Storm Carlisle (Lewes, DE), the second of nine Lyndon pitchers, took the loss.
The Hornets will play their first home contests of the season this weekend when the University of Maine at Farmington comes to the Skip Pound Baseball Complex for a four-game North Atlantic Conference series. The Hornets and Beavers will square off in doubleheaders on both Saturday and Sunday, with first pitch each day scheduled for 12:00 noon.
