FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact: Tony Bonvechio – Phone: 802.654.2929

Game One Box Score: http://www.smcathletics.com/sports/bsb/2010-11/files/blynstm1.htm.
Game Two Box Score: http://www.smcathletics.com/sports/bsb/2010-11/files/blscstm2.htm.
Photos (taken by Shane Bufano): http://www.shanebufano.com/Sports/SMC-Spring-2011/SMCvsLyndon-4-14-11.

COLCHESTER, Vt. – The Saint Michael's College baseball team (5-14) snapped its eight-game losing streak with an 8-1 win over Lyndon State (4-14) in game one before falling 8-4 in the nightcap. The Purple Knights pounded out nine hits in the first game, but the offensive woes continued in the second half of the doubleheader as the Hornets held Saint Michael's to one hit into the sixth inning.

Sophomore Collin Fishman (Bethesda, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel) assembled another solid pitching performance for Saint Michael's, throwing six innings for the win while scattering four hits and striking out seven. Freshman Alec Tice (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford) had a double and a single in game one to compliment a 4-for-4 day at the plate, and sophomore Jacob Begnoche (Essex Junction, Vt./Essex) smoked two singles. Freshman Nick Nelson (Spofford, N.H./Keene) drove in a game-high four runs with a bases-clearing triple and a sacrifice fly.

Saint Michael's used four-run innings in the second and fifth to build a comfy lead, and Fishman quieted the Hornet bats minus a sacrifice fly by freshman John Mooney (Plainfield, Vt./Twinfield Union) in the top of the second inning. Sophomore closer Rob McCarty (Canton, Mass./Canton) came on in the seventh and slammed the door with two strikeouts. Lyndon sophomore Patrick Hilton (Lyndonville, Vt./Lyndon Institute) took the loss on the mound, allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits in four innings.

In game two, Lyndon tacked on runs in each of the first three innings to jump out to a 7-0 lead, and sophomore Isaac Earle (Vernon, Vt./Brattleboro Union) earned the win with two innings of scoreless, one-hit relief. Saint Michael's sophomore Andrew Duprat (Fairfax, Vt./Bellows Free Academy-Fairfax) allowed six hits in two innings of work for the loss, but was hurt by two errors in the second inning that plated three unearned runs. For the Hornets, sophomore Corey Lescault (Bristol, R.I./Mount Hope) went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, and senior Jake Ainsworth (Fairfax, Vt./Bellows Free Academy-Fairfax) and freshman Robert Trucott (Lyndonville, Vt./Lyndon Institute) each had two hits with Ainsworth driving in three runs.

Saint Michael's sparked a rally in the sixth inning by sending three consecutive pinch hitters to the plate after Begnoche drew a leadoff walk and stole second. With two outs, Tice ripped a pinch-hit single up the middle to plate Begnoche and freshman Chris Puliafico (Sharon, Mass./Sharon) blasted a pinch-hit double to deep right center to score Tice. Lyndon added another run in the top of the seventh, making the score 8-2 for the Purple Knights' last raps.

Junior Chad Estey (New Haven, Vt./Mount Abraham Union) worked a walk, Begnoche took a pitch in the back for two runners on and one out, and Nelson smoked a ball that the second baseman mishandled to load the bases. Fishman pushed a grounder to first to score Estey and Tice drove in another run with a high chopper on the infield, but Lyndon junior Shane O'Donnell-Leach (Groton, Vt./Blue Mountain Union) coerced a popup to escape the jam.

The Purple Knights travel to head coach Paul Morgan's alma mater, Williams College, tomorrow for a 4 p.m. contest.

-PURPLEKNIGHTS-