Lyndonville, VT - The Vermont State University Lyndon baseball team battled back to gain a split with Lesley University in Saturday's North Atlantic Conference doubleheader. The Hornets are now 7-27 on the season and 6-10 in conference play, while Lesley sits at 23-14 overall and 13-5 in the NAC.
Game 1 - Lesley 8, VTSU Lyndon 3
The Lynx took the lead in the top of the second inning. With one out, Colby Jacobs reached on an error. One out later, Kevin Dorsey's base hit moved Jacobs to third. Jacobs then stole home on the back half of a double steal attempt, where Dorsey got caught in a rundown.
Lesley made it 2-0 in the third inning. Christian McElroy drew a leadoff walk. Following Owen Kallagher's base hit and Ian Dempsey's sacrifice bunt, Adam Budorick beat out an infield hit, scoring McElroy on the play.
Lyndon got a run back in the home half of the third inning. With two out, TJ Santaw (Newport, VT) singled and Nolan Barber (Jericho, VT) drew a walk. Tyler Murro (Littleton, NH) followed with a base hit back up the middle, driving in Santaw.
Lesley opened up some breathing room in the top of the fourth inning. Jake Samela and Kallagher both drew walks, then came around to score on Dempsey's triple. Then James Brandon reached on an errror, allowing Dempsey to score and extending the Lynx advantage to 5-1.
The Hornets drew closer in the bottom of the fifth inning. Dalton Berry (Tavares, FL) started things with a one-out base hit. After Santaw singled and Barber beat out a bunt single, Lyndon had the bases loaded. Murro reached on a fielder's choice, driving in Berry, then Matt Gonyeau (St. Albans, VT) singled to drive in Santaw to cut the Lesley lead to 5-3.
The Lynx broke things open in the top of the seventh inning. Budorick beat ot an infield hit, then Caden Shott singled. Jacobs doubled, driving in both runners, and moved to third on a Hornet error. Samela grounded out, driving in Jacobe with the eigth Lynx run.
That would be how things ended. Dylan Langston went five innings, allowing six hits and striking out seven against two walks to earn the win. Jacob Nemergut pitched two scoreless innings of releif to pick up the save. Lyndon starter Nathan Bigelow (East Hampton, CT) surrendered five runs, three of them earned, and six hits in absorbing the loss.
Game 2 - VTSU Lyndon 7, Lesley 4
Lesley took the early lead with an unearned run in the top of the first inning. With two out, Brandon and Budorick were hit by pitches and Shott walked. When Jacobs reached on an error, Brandon scored to put Lesley in front.
The Hornets got their bats going in the home half of the first inning. Santaw beat out an infield hit leading off. Barber and Murro then beat out back to back bunts. An errant throw on Murrow's bunt allowed Santaw to score. After Matt Doherty (Gardner, MA) walked, Alberto Bustamante (Northridge, CA) lofted a foul sacrifice fly down the right field line, driving in Barber. Anthony Ness (Silver Springs, NV) then delivered a two-run single to make it 4-1, Hornets.
Lesley got one back in the top of the second inning, plating another unearned run. Dylan Mills singled leading off, then moved to second on a passed ball and third on a wild pitch. He came home on Kalagher's ground out.
In the bottom of the third inning, Murrow walked leading off then Ryan Alt (Poultney, VT) was hit by a pitch. When Bustamante walked, the bases were loaded. Nurro scored when Ness grounded out, giving Lyndon a 5-2 lead.
Lesley was able to cut the margin back to two in the top of the fifth inning when Brandon doubled, then scored on Shott's base hit. However the Hornets wasted little time in answering, as Alt homered leading off the bottom half of the frame.
Lesley tried to rally in the top of the seventh inning. With one out, Dempey singled, then moved to second on a wild pitch. After Brandon walked, Budorick singled to center field, driving in Dempsey. However the Hornets were able to get out of the inning without any further damage.
Lyndon added an unearned insurance run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Alt singled leading off, then Bustamante reached on an error. Pinch hitter Kearson Grisham (Choctaw, MS) walked to load the bases with two out. Berry's two-out single back up the middle drove in Alt.
That would prove to be more than enough for Lyndon left hander Carlos Rodriguez (La Mirada, CA). After relieving Hornet starter Sean Cavanaugh (Londonderry, NH) in the third inning, Rodriguez got stronger as the game went on. He retired the final eight batters he faced to earn the win. Rodriguez struck out eight against two walks while allowign two runs and six hits over seven innings of relief. Lesley starter Roy Lenhard took the loss.
Prior to today's doubleheader, Lyndon recognized its three graduating seniors, Cavanaugh, Barber, and Murro, along with senior student assistant Aiven Malanoski, fifth year senior Santaw, and graduating senior Doherty, who will be returning for his final season of eligibility. The seniors were joined on the field by family members and teammates, and were presented with tokens of appreciation from the Hornet coaching staff.
The Hornets and Lynx will conclude the four game series and the regular season with anothe doubleheader on Sunday afternoon. The start time has been pushed up to 11:00 am in an attempt to get the games in before expected rainy weather.
