Waterville, ME - Vermont State University Lyndon and Thomas College battled through a pair of tightly contested North Atlantic Conference baseball games on Monday afternoon. Unfortunately for the Hornets, the Terriers eked out victories in both ends of the doubleheader to improve to 10-16 on the season and 6-4 in conference play. Lyndon fell to 10-21 overall and 3-9 in the NAC.
Game 1 - Thomas 6, VTSU Lyndon 4
The Hornets took the early lead in the top of the first inning when Evan Duncan (Little Elm, TX) led off with a double down the right field line, then came around to score on Eyon Tembreull's (Vergennes, VT) base hit.
The score stayed 1-0, Lyndon, until the home half of the third inning. Tony Meza singled leading off, then moved to third when Cam Haynes reached on an error. Meza scored on DJ Cagnina's sacrifice fly, tying the game at 1-1. After Samuel Keblinsky singled, Patrick Temby laced a two-out, two-run double to give the Terriers a 3-1 lead.
Thomas tacked on a run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Keblinsky doubled, then came home on Temby's base hit.
Lyndon drew closer in the top of the seventh inning. Dale Ostermann (Harrington, DE) reached on an error leading off, then Will Perkins (Holtwood, PA) doubled, moving Ostermann to third. After back to back strikeouts, Duncan was intentionally walked to load the bases. Brian Nazario (Little Elm, TX) came trough with a clutch base hit, scoring Ostermann and Perkins to cut the Thomas lead to 4-3.
In the top of the eighth inning, Matt Gonyeau (S. Albans, VT) led off with a double. After Ostermann was hit by a pitch, Perkins bunted both runners over. Chuck Gratton (Bennington, VT) walked to load the bases, then Duncan beat out an infield hit to score Gonyeau and tie the game. The Hornets were unable to do further damage, however, as they left the bases loaded.
Thomas responded in the home eighth. Matt Seymour was hit by a pitch leading off, then back to back hits from Hayden Dippner and Elijah Morton loaded the bases. Meza's sacrifice fly scored Seymour to put Thomas back in front, then Dippner came home on an errant pickoff throw, giving Thomas a 6-4 lead.
Down to their final at bat, Gonyeau beat out an infield hit with two outs to keep the inning alive. However Ostermann grounded into a fielder's choice to end the game.
Thomas starter Andrew Pruell picked up the win after allowing three earned runs and five hits over seven innings, striking out seven and walking five. Ankit Shah pitched two scoreless innings of relief to earn the save.
Lyndon starter Nathan Bigelow (East Nampton, CT) allowed four runs, two earned, and eight hits while striking out three and walking two over five innings. Jack Holley (San Gabriel, CA) pitched the final three innings and took the loss after allowing two runs, one earned, and three hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
Game 2 - Thomas 6, VTSU Lyndon 5
Lyndon again jumped in front in the nightcap. Nazario drew a one out walk, then Tembreull was hit by a pitch. Ryan Alt (Poultney, VT) then doubled to center, driving in Nazario. Gonyeau then beat out an infield hit to score Tembreull and EJ Camden (Corona, CA) followed with a base hit to score Alt and give the Hornets a 3-0 lead.
Thomas got on the board in the bottom of the second inning. Haynes doubled leading off, then moved to third on Keblinsky's infield hit. Bryce Bardwell delivered a sacrifice fly to bring home Haynes and cut the Lyndon lead to 3-1.
Haynes again got Thomas going with a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fourth inning. After Keblinsky singled, Bardwell laced a two-run double down the left field line to tie the game at 3-3. Jason Bartlett followed with another double to bring home Bardwell and put the Terriers in front.
Lyndon tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the fifth inning. Tembreull walked leading off, moved to second on Alt's base hit and to third on a wild pitch, and scored on Gonyeau's sacrifice fly.
The Hornets would take a 5-4 lead in the top of the sixth inning. After Carter Paquette reached on an error leading off, Brayden Ross (West Bridgewater, MA) reached on a fielder's choice. Ross moved to second on a passed ball, then scored on Nazario's base hit.
The Terriers would pull even in the home sixth. Bartlett walked leading off, then was lifted for pinch runner Javier Diaz, Dia stole second, then moved to third on Seymour's sacrifice bunt. Diaz would then score on Morton's sacrifice fly.
After Lyndon failed to score in the top of the seventh inning, Haynes doubled leading off the bottom half of the frame. After Cagnina was intentionally walked, Keblinsky singled to load the bases,. Haynes then scored on Bardwell's sacrifice fly to give Thomas the walk off win.
Thomas relief pitcher Gage Eggleston picked up the win after allowing one run over the final two innings. Terrier starter Justin Conn didn't factor in the decision. He went five innings and allowed four runs, three earned, and seven hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
Austin Bigelow, the third Hornet pitcher of the game, came on to pitch the final inning and took the loss. Starter Alberto Bustamante (Northridge, CA) allowed four runs and seven hits over four innings and Osterman allowed one run and one hit over two innings of relief.
Lyndon will return to action on Wednesday afternoon when they host Fisher College in a non-conference matchup That game was originally scheduled for Tuesday, but was pushed back a day. First pitch Wednesday is scheduled for 3:00 pm.
