Lexington, MA - The Vermont State University Lyndon baseball team swept both ends of Wednesday's North Atlantic Conference doubleheader with Lesley University. The Hornets outlasted the Lynx in a wild extra innings opener, then held the hosts off in the nightcap. With the sweep Lyndon improved to 9-15 overall and evened their NAC record at 5-5. Lesley fell to 8-17 on the season and 4-10 in conference.
Game 1 - VTSU Lyndon 17, Lesley 14 - 11 innings
There were no shortage of twists in the opener. Lesley plated a pair of runs in their half of the second inning and three more in the fourth to take a 5-0 lead. Lyndon got back in the game with three runs in the top of the fifth inning, then took the lead with a five run sixth. Lyndon appeared to be cruising to a victory after adding two insurance runs in the eighth inning and another in the ninth. However after Lyndon got the first two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Lesley staged a huge rally, scoring six runs to tie the game. After each team plated a run in the tenth, Lyndon seemed to have control after scoring five in the top of the 11th inning. Lesley again didn't go quietly, narrowing the gap to three with two runners on and the tying run at the plate. However Lesley hit into a game ending double play and the Hornets escaped with the win.
Cesar Cisneros (National City, CA) had a huge game from the leadoff spot. He was four for five with two walks and was hit once. Cisneros drove in three runs and scored three more. He also stole five bases. Tredell Blow (Yorktown, VA) also had four hits and Ryan Alt (Poultney, VT) added three hits, two runs batted in, and two runs scored. Aaron LeFrancois (Rutland, VT) drove in three runs and scored three.
Caden Schott had three hits and scored twice for Lesley. Andres Moreno, Jacob Brown, and Owen Finnegan had two hits each for the Lynx.
Zinabu McNeice (Brattleboro, VT), the fifth Hornet pitcher, picked up the win. Austin Bigelow (East Hampton, CT) came on to get the game ending double play ball and earn the save. James Labombard, the sisth of seven Lesley pitchers, took the loss.
Game 2 - VTSU Lyndon 4, Lesley 2
Unlike the game one slug fest, game two was more about pitching and defense. The Hornets scored three times in the third inning, then added an insurance run on Matt Doherty's (Gardner, MA) solo home run. Lesley got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, but that's as close as the Lynx would get.
Cisneros, Blow, Doherty, and Alt all had two-hit games for the Hornets, as did Sean Dunton (Quechee, VT). Doherty, Alt, Eyon Tembreull (Vergennes, VT), and Matt Gonyeau (St. Albans, VT) each drove in a run.
Carlos Rodriguez (La Mirada, CA) started on the mound and picked up the win for the Hornets. He allowed two runs on three hits, striking out six against two walks over 4.2 innings. Bigelow picked up his second save of the day after pitching 2.1 innings of one-hit shutout relief. Roy Lenhard went the distance for Lesley and took the loss.
The Hornets will play at home for the first time this weekend, as they host Husson University in a four-game NAC series. Saturday's doubleheader will begin at 1:00 pm, whiel Sunday's twinbill will start at noon.
