PLYMOUTH, N.H. - Plymouth State University swept a
non-conference baseball doubleheader from Lyndon State College
Monday afternoon at Panther Park, winning the first game in extra
innings, 4-3, and taking the nightcap in a rout, 11-0.
The
Panthers stopped a five-game losing streak and improved to 8-20
overall, while the Hornets, which had won four of their last six,
dropped to 7-9.
PSU
took a 2-0 lead in the third inning of the opener on a sacrifice
fly by freshman Grant Livingston (Niantic, Conn.)
and an RBI single by junior Kevin Levandowski
(Derry, N.H.). The Hornets came right back to tie the game in the
top of the fourth as senior Jordan Royer (Lyndonville, Vt.) singled
and scored on a double by sophomore Jake Ainsworth (Fairfax, Vt.)
and a Panther outfield error, and Ainsworth scored on an infield
groundout. LSC pulled ahead in the fifth on a double by senior
Adrian Guyer (Lyndonville, Vt.) and a single by classmate Michael
Swan (Southington, Conn.)
The
Panthers tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the sixth when
senior Brandon Hodge (Bradford, Vt.) led off with
his fifth home run of the season. The game was scheduled for seven
innings, but PSU needed eight innings to win it. After
loading the bases on a pair of singles and a walk, senior
John Pogorzelski (Hillsborough, N.J.) knocked in
the winning run with a suicide squeeze bunt, scoring Levandowski.
Senior Ryan Lavelle (Middleboro, Mass.) picked up
the win for PSU with three scoreless innings of relief, allowing
only one hit and two walks. Junior Josh Fletcher (Richford,
Vt.) worked into the eighth inning for Lyndon State and took the
loss.
The
Panthers scored two runs in the first inning of the nightcap, and
put the game away with six runs in the fourth inning and three more
in the sixth. That was plenty for three PSU hurlers who
limited the Hornets to just three hits. Freshman
Chris Bryant (Lebanon, N.H.) recorded his first
career victory (1-2) after working five innings of three-hit
shutout baseball. Junior Chris Welch (South
Burlington, Vt.) and senior Justin Flanagan
(Hingham, Mass.) each pitched a perfect inning of relief.
Senior Jim VanGyzen (Glocester, R.I.) and junior
Josh Roberti (Cranston, R.I.) led the Panther hit
parade in the second game with three hits apiece, VanGyzen knocking
in three runs. Freshman Mike Moody
(Manchester, N.H./Central) also had two hits and drove in two.
Both teams play against Castleton State College in their next
games, Lyndon State hosting the Spartans in a doubleheader on
Tuesday (2:00 p.m.) and PSU visiting Castleton for a single game on
Wednesday (4:00 p.m.)
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