NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. - The
Plymouth State University baseball team scored 18 runs on 19 hits
Sunday afternoon to win the opening game of a Little East
Conference doubleheader at the University of Massachusetts
Dartmouth, 7-2, but the Panthers had to settle for a split of the
twinbill after dropping the nightcap, 14-4.
The biggest highlights of the day for PSU were provided by junior
Kevin Levandowski (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton), who
drove in eight runs in the opener with three hits, including two
home runs. The eight RBI is one short of PSU's single-game record.
Senior Jim VanGyzen (Glocester, R.I.) also had two
hits, including a home run, and four RBI in the Panther victory.
Plymouth State used three big innings to win the opener. Freshman
Matt Koban (Bradford, N.H.) singled in two runs
and Levandowski hit a two-run homer in a five-run fourth.
Levandowski hit a grand slam homer with two out in the four-run
fifth, and Levandowski, junior third baseman Jay
Kleponis (Reading, Mass.) and VanGyzen each drove in two
runs in a six-run ninth.
Junior Casey Askeland (Dartmouth, Mass.) homered twice for the
Corsairs, a solo shot in the second and a two-run blast in the
fourth. Freshman Ryan McDermott (Pembroke, Mass.) singled in a run
and Grillo doubled home two more in a five-run sixth as UMass
Dartmouth cut the PSU advantage to 10-9. But PSU scored twice in
the eighth and six more times in the ninth to take an 18-9 lead.
Senior right-hander Chip Hale (Londonderry, N.H.)
pitched the first six innings for the Panthers and earned the
victory, improving to 1-1, while junior Chris
Welch (South Burlington, Vt.) pitched the final three
innings to record his first save of the season.
Junior Dave McGuire (Plainville, Mass.) gave UMass Dartmouth a 2-0
lead in the nightcap with a first-inning single, while a sacrifice
fly by freshman Matt Ryan (Uxbridge, Mass.) and a two-run single by
junior Casey Askeland (Dartmouth, Mass.) made it 5-0 after two
innings.
Senior Brandon Hodge (Bradford, Vt.) singled in
two runs and Levandowski and freshman Dan Eagan
(Norwich, Conn.) each singled in a run in a four-run third for the
Panthers that made it 5-4.
The Corsairs came back to score a run in the bottom of the third,
two in the fifth and four more in the sixth. Senior Dylan Zygmont
(Swansea, Mass.) hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh,
ending the game due to the 10-run rule.
Freshman right-hander Brian Pedrotti (Dalton, Mass.) scattered
seven hits to earn the victory, improving his record to 1-3. Junior
Taylor Ketchum (Fairhaven, Mass.) started and took
the loss for PSU, falling to 1-3.
PSU, 5-13 overall and 1-4 in LEC games, is scheduled back on the
diamond Wednesday at Middlebury (3:30 p.m.). UMD, 2-17 and
1-4 in the Little East, returns to action Tuesday at conference
opponent Rhode Island College.
(Courtesy of UMass Dartmouth Sports
Information)
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