PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Junior
Trey Parker (Lebanon, N.H.) needed just 73 pitches and allowed only two hits in an eight-inning complete game win to lead Plymouth State University to a doubleheader split with Castleton University in a Little East Conference (LEC) baseball doubleheader at Parish Field on Saturday afternoon.
Parker was masterful, slicing through the Spartans' lineup with ease in game two. He retired the final 18 batters in a row after Castleton's leadoff single in the third, and struck out the side in the fifth. Junior
Nick Healey (Campton, N.H.) went 2-for-4 with a homer and double and classmate
Griffin Crane (Lancaster, N.H.) had four hits, including a pair of doubles, as the offense pounded out 12 hits in the 10-8 victory.
Castleton raced out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first of game one and never looked back. Senior
Max Lamora (Concord, N.H.) doubled in a run in the fourth to cut the margin to 5-1, but the Spartans would push across seven runs between the sixth and seventh innings to win 12-2 in seven innings.
Plymouth State moves to 11-19 and 3-7 in the LEC, while Castleton is now 8-18-1 and 2-9 in league play.
The Basics:
- Game One: Plymouth State 2, Castleton 12 (7 Inn.)
- Game Two: Plymouth State 10, Castleton 0 (8 Inn.)
- Plymouth State (11-19, 3-7 LEC)
- Castleton (8-18-1, 2-9 LEC)
How it Happened (Game One):
- The Spartans burst out of the gates in the first with a four-run, two-out rally to take control early on.
- PSU loaded the bases with two down in the second after three straight walks, but Castleton got out of the self-induced jam unscathed.
- Castleton added another two-out rally for a run in the fourth, but after sophomore Joshua Welsh (East Lyme, Conn.) walked with two down in the bottom of the frame, Lamora's double and a Castleton error cut the deficit to 5-1.
- The visitors broke the game open thanks to a three-run blast in the sixth.
- Lamora singled in a run in the bottom of the inning to make it 8-2, but the Spartans added four in the top of the seventh and the Panthers went down quietly in the bottom of the inning.
By the Numbers (Game One):
- Lamora went 2-for-2 with a walk and an RBI to reach base three times.
- Welsh was 1-for-1 with a pair of walks and a run scored, while Crane reached base twice with a single and a walk.
- Junior Bobby Cliche (Stratham, N.H.) took the loss after surrendering four runs (two earned) over two-plus innings.
- Senior Noah Wachter (Concord, N.H.) struck out eight over his 4.1 innings, but was tagged for six runs.
- Junior Ethan Foster (Catskill, N.Y.) and sophomore Sam Dyckman (Pembroke, Mass.) each recorded an out on the mound.
How it Happened (Game Two):
- Parker was in control from the onset and Plymouth State got on the board in the fourth. Junior Alex Rives (Gilford, N.H.) and Crane singled and a wild pitch advanced both runners. After an out, Healey drove in a run with an RBI groundout.
- Parker struck out the side in the fifth and the Panthers' bats heated up in the bottom of the inning. After a walk and infield hit, sophomore Luke Sokolski (Waterford, Conn.) singled in a run for a 2-0 advantage. Rives walked and Crane smacked a two-run double, and a single from senior Bryan McGrath (Franklin, Mass.) made it 5-0. Healey followed with a run-scoring double of his own for a 6-0 lead.
- Crane doubled again in the seventh and Healey launched a two-run shot over the high fence in right field for an 8-0 lead.
- PSU ended the game in the eighth with a two-out rally. Sokolski walked, Rives was hit by a pitch and Crane's single loaded the bases. McGrath followed with a two-run single to end the game.
By the Numbers (Game Two):
- Crane went 4-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored, while Healey was 2-for-4 with a homer, double and four RBI.
- McGrath drove in three with his 2-for-5 effort and freshman Danny Quinn (Holliston, Mass.) also had a two-hit game.
- The top five hitters in PSU's lineup finished a combined 10-for-21 with eight runs scored and 10 RBI.
- Parker was masterful, needing just 73 pitches to get through eight innings. He allowed just two hits without a walk and struck out nine.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State hosts the University of Massachusetts Boston for a single LEC game on Tuesday (Apr. 26). First pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m.
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