Lyndonville, VT - Vermont State University Lyndon plated three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to rally for a 5-4 non-conference baseball victory over Fisher College this afternoon.  Lyndon improved to 11-21 with the win, while Fisher fell to 13-14.

Both starting pitchers, Joey Hanlon (Trinity, FL) and Camden Redstone of Fisher, looked strong in the early going.  Hanlon retired the Falcons in order in the first inning, then pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the second.  Meanwhile Redstone stranded one Hornet at second in each of the first two innings.

Fisher broke through with an unearned run in the top of the third inning.  Armando Torres reached on an error leading off, then stole second.  He came around to score the game's first run on Jose Aybar's base hit.

After Redstone kept the Hornets at bay in the bottom of the third inning, the Falcons tacked on another run in the top of the fourth.  With one out, Alejandro Villar laced a triple down the right field line and into the corner.  Ruben Rodriguez followed with a base hit to center to drive in Villar and make it 2-0, Falcons.

The Hornets broke through against Redstone in the home fourth.  Matt Gonyeau (St. Albans, VT) doubled leading off.  After Chuck Gratton (Bennington, VT) was hit by a pitch, Dale Ostermann (Harrington, DE, laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over.  EJ Camden (Corona, CA) delivered a sacrifice fly to score Gonyeau and ger Lyndon on the board.  Carter Paquette (Shoreham, VT) then reached on an error, allowing Gratton to come home with the tying run.

Hanlon exited as the fifth inning began, after allowing one earned run and three hits with three strikeouts.  John Kuhn (Cape Coral, FL) relieved Hanlon and was greeted with back to back singles from Aybar and Michael Wright.  Yariel Salinas then walked to load the bases.  When Yatnier Torres grounded into a fielder's choice, Aybar scored to put Fisher back in front, 3-2.  Torres promptly stole second, and a Hornet miscue on the play allowed Wright to score, extending the Falcon lead.  Tyler Kimball (Vergennes, VT) then came on in relief of Kuhn to get the final out of the inning and extinguish the Fisher rally.

Spencer Monroe relieved Redstone in the bottom of the fifth inning and stranded Hornet runners at second and third to maintain the two run margin.  Kimball then pitched his way out of trouble in the top of the sixth before Monroe set the Hornets down in order in the bottom of the inning.

Fisher's Gilbert Gomez hit a two out double off of Kimball in the top of the seventh inning, then stole third.  However Kimball was able to strike out Villar to end the threat.

Emmanuel Grullon relieved Monroe in the bottom of the seventh inning.  With one out, Lyndon's Evan Duncan (Little Elm, TX) got onboard thanks to a two base error.  After a walk to Bryan Nazario (Little Elm, TX), Ryan Alt (Poultney, VT) singled back up the middle to drive in Duncan and cut the Fisher lead to one.  After Grullon walked Gonyeau to load the bases, he was lifted for Esteban Santos-Fuentes.  Gratton came through with a base hit off of Santos-Fuentes to bring home Nazario with the tying run.  Ostermann then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, driving in Alt to put Lyndon in front, 5-4.

Keegan Stephenson came on for Kimball in the top of the eighth inning and retired the Falcons without any damage being done.  Maylo Sierra came in for Fisher in the bottom of the inning and did the same.

Jack Holley (San Gabriel, CA) took the mound for the Hornets in the top of the ninth inning looking to close the door.  After retiring the first two batters, Torres beat out an infield hit to keep the Falcons alive.  Gomez followed with a base hit to move the tying run into scoring position, but Holley got Villar to fly out to Duncan in center field to seal the win for Lyndon.

Kimball picked up his first collegiate win with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief, and Holley notched his first career save.  Grullon took the loss for Fisher.

The Hornets return to the diamond on Sunday afternoon when they host Williams College for a non-conference doubleheader.  First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm.