FORT MYERS, Fla. – Sophomore
Jackson Curtis (Jefferson, N.H.) and freshman
Owen Baum (Saint Michaels, Md.) each had three hits and sophomore
Luke Sokolski (Waterford, Conn.) drove in three runs as Plymouth State University held off Augustana College, 9-6, in non-conference baseball action during the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic on Sunday afternoon.
The Panthers jumped out to a 5-1 lead through the first two innings. Augustana cut the margin to 5-4 with a three-run fourth, but PSU answered right back with a three-spot in the top of the fifth. The Vikings brought the tying run to the plate with one down in the bottom of the ninth, but senior
Noah Wachter (Concord, N.H.) picked up the save after retiring the final two batters.
Plymouth State improves to 2-5 and avenges Friday's loss to the Vikings, while Augustana moves to 6-2.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 9, Augustana 6
- Plymouth State (2-5)
- Augustana (6-2)
How it Happened:
- The Panthers came out swinging as junior Alex Rives (Gilford, N.H.) and Curtis singled to start the game. Rives swiped third and came home on Sokolski's sacrifice fly to make it 1-0. Junior Nick Healey (Campton, N.H.) followed with a single and both runners moved up on a wild pitch to make it 2-0, before Baum's RBI base hit gave the Panthers a quick 3-0 lead.
- PSU tacked on two unearned runs in the second when Sokolski smacked a two-out single with runners on second and third to push the lead to 5-0.
- The Vikings used a sacrifice fly to get on the board in the bottom of the inning.
- Augustana rallied for three runs in the bottom of the fourth to pull to within 5-4 but the Panthers came right back to plate three in the top of the fifth. Curtis and Sokolski singled to start the inning and Baum and senior Bryan McGrath (Franklin, Mass.) had run-scoring hits as PSU went up 8-4.
- The Vikings cut the deficit to 8-6 in the bottom of the sixth, but again Plymouth State got a run right back the next half inning thanks to Baum. With two outs, Baum doubled, stole third and raced home on a wild pitch to make it a 9-6 game.
- Augustana loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh, but Wachter came in to get the third out before retiring the side in order in the eighth.
- The Vikings tried to rally again in the ninth, bringing the tying run to the plate with one down but Wachter got an infield popup and a fly out to left to preserve the win.
By the Numbers:
- Curtis went 3-of-5 with three runs scored, while Baum was 3-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored.
- Sokolski finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored, while McGrath also reached twice with a single and a walk.
- The Panthers stole six bases in the game, with Rives and Baum each swiping two.
- Junior Eoin Hamell-Kelleher (Attleboro, Mass.) went the first six innings, allowing four earned while striking out four to pick up his first win of the season. Classmate Nick Cote (Londonderry, N.H.) got two outs in the seventh, before Wachter went the final 2.1 while striking out three to pick up his first save.
Up Next:
- The Panthers square off against Bluffton University tomorrow (Mar. 7) at 12:00 p.m.
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