Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
Purple Knights rally in nightcap, McCarty slams door in both wins
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – FOR MORE INFORMATION:
LANTANA, Fla. – The Saint Michael's College baseball team (2-1) earned one-run wins versus Saint Thomas Aquinas College and Nyack College on day two of its Florida trip on Monday. The Purple Knights worked late rallies in both contests, beating the Spartans, 3-2, and using a game-tying single by junior Tim McDonnell (Durham, N.H./Oyster River) and the game-winning sacrifice fly by freshman Nick Nelson (Spofford, N.H./Keene) to top Nyack, 4-3. Sophomore closer Rob McCarty (Canton, Mass./Canton) earned saves in both games and retired all seven batters he faced to help Saint Michael's earn its first back-to-back wins since sweeping Lyndon State College on April 16, 2009.
In game one, sophomore pitcher Andrew Kelley (Lincoln, N.H./Lin-Wood) allowed two first-inning runs before settling down for four scoreless innings. Kelley struck out five and walked five before the Purple Knights went to junior pitcher Matt Dunn (Needham, Mass./Needham) in the sixth inning. Saint Michael's tied the game in the sixth when junior ChadEstey (New Haven, Vt./Mount Abraham Union) scored on an error and senior Ben Yodzio (Hingham, Mass./Hingham) ripped an RBI single to left field.
Dunn proceeded to work two and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief, but a walk and a single prompted Saint Michael's to give the ball to McCarty with two on and two out in the eighth. McCarty coaxed a lineout to third to end the threat and retired the side in order in the ninth, capping the win with a strikeout.
In game two, the Purple Knights surrendered a two-run lead in the seventh inning, falling behind 3-2. Sophomore Collin Fishman (Bethesda, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel) rolled through six innings of work on the mound before giving up back-to-back singles to start the seventh. Freshman pitcher Corey Livingston (Hartford, Conn./East Catholic) came in from the bullpen and gave up a single and a sacrifice fly that plated two Nyack runs that were charged to Fishman. Livingston quickly escaped the jam with a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning, then mowed down three Nyack hitters to send the game to the ninth.
In their final turn at bat, Estey reached on a leadoff error, moved to second on a bunt by freshman Tyler Wild (Quaker Hill, Conn./Saint Bernard School), and scored on a line drive to right field by McDonnell. Senior Pete Estes (Bennington, Vt./Mount Anthony Union) moved to third on the hit and scored the winning run on a deep sacrifice fly by Nelson, who also had two doubles earlier in the game.
McCarty took the hill again in the ninth and worked three straight outs for his second save of the day. After tying the single-season program record with three saves last season, McCarty is just two shy of tying the career record of seven saves.
The Purple Knights will look to extend their winning streak tomorrow when they face Philadelphia University at 10:30 a.m. and C.W. Post at 2:30 p.m.
-PURPLEKNIGHTS-
