WEYMOUTH, Mass. – Quite likely the longest baseball game played this season was completed this evening when Eastern Nazarene College held off Plymouth State University, 4-1, in a game started last Saturday (Feb. 19). The teams played a second, seven-inning contest, with ENC holding off a late Panthers' rally in their final at bat to earn a 4-3 win.
PSU trailed 2-0 in the bottom of the second on Saturday, when senior
Bryan McGrath (Franklin, Mass.) cut the margin in half, scoring from third on a throw to first base after a dropped third strike. Plymouth State retired the first two batters in the top of the fifth, but the umpires suspended the game after heavy snow left the field looking more like a scene in a snow globe than a baseball diamond.
The teams resumed from there, with ENC taking on two more runs to earn a 4-1 win.
Plymouth State trailed 4-0 entering the top of the seventh of game two but quickly loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk. A two-run error cut the deficit to 4-2 and brought the go-ahead run to the plate. Although the Panthers added another run to make it a one-run deficit, the Lions turned a huge double play and PSU was unable to complete the comeback.
Plymouth State drops to 0-3, while the Lions improve to 3-0.
The Basics:
- Game 1: Plymouth State 1, Eastern Nazarene 4 (Completion of Susp. Game from 2/19)
- Game 2: Plymouth State 3, Eastern Nazarene 4
- Plymouth State (0-3)
- Eastern Nazarene (3-0)
How it Happened (Game One):
- The game picked up with two down in the top of the fifth with the Panthers facing a 2-1 deficit. ENC ripped back-to-back doubles to push across another run before PSU got out of the inning.
- Plymouth State was unable to get anything going in the fifth or sixth innings and a solo shot in the top of the seventh expanded the ENC lead to 4-1.
- Freshman Tyler Wright (Concord, N.H.) had a one-out base hit in the bottom of the inning, but the Panthers were unable to bring him in.
- PSU put together a rally in the bottom of the ninth with runners on first and second with one out, but the Lions got back-to-back strikeouts to close out the game.
How it Happened (Game Two):
- Junior Griffin Crane (Lancaster, N.H.) singled to start the second and moved to third on a pair of groundouts. Freshman Danny Quinn (Holliston, Mass.) worked a walk, but the runners were stranded after a fielder's choice ended the inning.
- An error and double gave the Lions runners on second and third with nobody out in the bottom of the second, but junior Braxton Brown (Lancaster, N.H.) escaped unscathed after cutting down a runner at the plate before a huge strike out and comebacker ended the frame.
- ENC plated three in the bottom of the third to take the lead.
- PSU had a pair of baserunners after a walk and hit batsman in the top of the fifth, but a ground ball and strike out ended the threat.
- The hosts used a walk, ground out and RBI double to push the lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the sixth.
- Again, the Panthers rallied in their final at bat. Quinn and junior Alex Rives (Gilford, N.H.) sandwiched singles around a Wright walk to load the bases to start the inning. A Lions' error put runners at the corners and plated two runs to cut the margin to 4-2. ENC got a huge double play ball on the next hitter to make it a one-run game, but a tapper back to the pitcher ended PSU's comeback bid.
By the Numbers:
- PSU was limited to three hits in game two, but the Panthers worked four walks, including two by Wright.
- Sophomore Jackson Curtis (Jefferson, N.H.) picked up his first RBI of the year.
- Junior Aiden McDonough (Dover, N.H.) took the loss after giving up a pair of runs over the first 2.1 innings. He was followed by junior Bobby Cliche (Stratham, N.H.), senior Noah Wachter (Concord, N.H.), junior Nick Cote (Londonderry, N.H.) and sophomore Sam Dyckman (Pembroke, Mass.).
- The bullpen allowed a pair of runs over the final 3.2 innings, with Wachter striking out a pair.
- ENC has won each of the last four meetings between the teams.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State opens its Spring Break trip a week from Friday (Mar. 4) against Augustana College in the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic.
– 30 –
