Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 HE BASICS
Game One Score: Emerson 4, Clark 3
Game Two Score: Clark 6, Emerson 5
Game One Pitching Decision: W - Jack Fox (2-0); L - Teddy Downing (0-1); S - Cal Laird (1)
Game Two Pitching Decision: W - Daniel Davidoff (4-0); L - Cal Laird (1-1)
Records: Emerson Lions (8-4, 1-1 NEWMAC); Clark Cougars (13-3, 1-1 NEWMAC)
Location: Worcester, Mass. (Granger Diamond)
Date: March 25, 2017
The Lead: The Emerson baseball team kicked off NEWMAC twinbill action against Clark on Saturday afternoon, where the Lions walked away with a split against the Cougars. In the first game of the day, Emerson was able to push past Clark, 4-3, before Zach Kelley's game-winning single lifted the Cougars past the Lions, 6-5, in the nightcap.
Game One: Emerson 4, Clark 3
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Both Emerson junior pitcher Henry Schwartz (Queens, N.Y.) and Clark starter Cal Slepkow embarked in a scoreless pitcher's duel through the first four innings.
- Within the top of the fifth, Emerson mustered some offense and put two runners on second and third after back-to-back singles and a sacrifice fly, which led to junior Tim Quitadamo (Worcester, Mass.) plating the first run on a grounder to short.
- The game remained 1-0 in Emerson's favor before senior Connor Damiano (Randolph, N.J.) smacked a two-run double within the top of the eighth to put the Lions on top, 3-0.
- Clark answered in their home half of the eighth and pushed three runs across to lock the score at 3-all on Kyle Bonicki's sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Adam Chochrek.
- Emerson welcomed Clark reliever Downing to the game and loaded up the bags with one out, but Downing recorded the second out before junior Neil Perry (Middleboro, Mass.) drew a two-out bases loaded walk to plate the go-ahead run.
- In the bottom of the ninth, Clark's bats were silenced by Laird as he got the Cougars to go down in order on a strikeout and pair of grounders.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Damiano finished 1-for-4 at the plate for Emerson with a two bagger and two RBIs, junior Pablo Feldman (Mill Valley, Calif.) went 1-for-2 with a run scored, Perry finished 1-for-4 with an RBI and Quitadamo drove in one RBI.
- Schwartz earned the no decision and tossed seven innings with two hits, allowed three walks and fanned seven batters.
- Fox improved to 2-0 in his one inning relief effort and surrendered three runs on three hits with a walk and one strikeout, while Laird nabbed his first save and pitched the ninth with one strikeout.
- Chochrek and Downing went for a combined 2 for 5 in the batter's box with a run scored and one RBI.
- Cougars started Slepkow tossed an eight-inning no decision effort and gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits and struck out 10 with two walks, while it was Downing who took the defeat in one relief inning and allowed one run to cross with a pair of punch outs and three walks.
- Emerson outhit Clark, 6-5, while the Lions left seven runners on the bases while the Cougars stranded five.
Game Two: Clark 6, Emerson 5
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Emerson put Clark starter Mike Tice in early trouble as the Lions scratched two runs across on a passed ball and senior Danny Johnson's (Mashpee, Mass.) RBI single.
- The Cougars earned a run back after Bonicki hammered a triple into the right center gap and later scored on Kelley's sacrifice fly.
- When Johnson batted a sacrifice fly to pull Emerson ahead, 3-1, Tice hit senior Kyle Becker (Jericho, N.Y.) with the bases full of Lions to plate their fourth run within their half of the third.
- Clark loaded up the bases in the bottom of the third and crossed two runs on a Derek Lefebvre sacrifice fly and Nick Jordan's RBI single to cut Emerson's lead to one at 4-3.
- The Cougar bats came alive within the sixth as Jordan's double kicked off the inning and was followed up by a walk to David Rotando that allowed Bonicki to drive in the go-ahead fourth and fifth runs on a two-run double.
- Clark reliever Cam Smith kept the Emerson bats quiet within the seventh frame until he gave up the 5-all equalizer in the eighth.
- Smith recorded two quick outs to begin the eighth before Perry sent a single to center and later stole second, which helped set up Feldman's RBI single into center.
- Laird came into the game in the bottom of the ninth and registered two put outs before Downing came around from second on Kelley's game-winning single to center.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Perry batted a team-best 4-for-5 for Emerson with three runs score, Feldman went 2-for-4 with an RBI, senior Mitch Moormann (Hollywood, Fla.) finished 1-for-4 and crossed two runs and Johnson was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
- Freshman starter Sam Knox (Sturbridge, Mass.) tossed a six inning no decision effort and was tagged for five runs on seven hits with five walks and two strikeouts, while Laird took the loss in his 2.2 relief innings and gave up a run on one hit with a walk and strikeout.
- Downing finished 2-for-4 at the plate for Clark with a pair of runs scored, Bonicki went 2-for-5 with a single, triple, one run scored and two RBIs and Kelley was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
- Tice pitched the no decision for 2.2 innings and allowed four runs on four hits with a trio of punch outs and walks, while Smith allowed one run on six hits and fanned four as Davidoff improved to 4-0 with one relief inning pitched and fanned one batter.
- Emerson outhit Clark, 11-9, as the Lions stranded 12 runners on the bags and the Cougars left six.
UP NEXT
- With tomorrow's matchup against Rivier postponed, Emerson returns to the field on Tuesday, March 28 at WPI for a NEWMAC tilt at 3:30 p.m.
- Clark steps out of NEWMAC play on Sunday, March 26 with a twin bill against Anna Maria at 12:00 p.m.
STAY LIVE WITH THE LIONS
