MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Junior
Danny Quinn (Holliston, Mass.) went deep and seniors
Luke Sokolski (Waterford, Conn.) and
Jackson Curtis (Jefferson, N.H.) had multi-hit games, but St. Joseph's University Long Island scored three times in the bottom of the seventh before walking off Plymouth State University, 7-6, in game one of a double header at the Myrtle Beach College Baseball Spring Training at Griffith Field on Thursday.
The Golden Eagles completed the sweep with a 10-6 win in game two, despite Quinn's three-hit game and a longball off the bat of Sokolski.
Sokolski tied game one at 3-3 with a base hit in the fifth and two batters later Quinn launched a blast to left center for a three-run shot. PSU would maintain the lead into the bottom of the seventh. St. Joseph's loaded the bases with no outs, before an RBI groundout, single and sacrifice fly knotted the score at 6-6. The Golden Eagles walked off with the win with a one-out hit in the bottom of the eighth.
St. Joseph's scored in each of the first five innings of game two. Trailing 7-1, the Panthers rallied with a three-run fourth thanks to a pair of doubles from Quinn and junior
Scooter Summa (Ellicott City, Md.). The Golden Eagles responded with a three-spot in the fifth. PSU was able to plate two in the sixth, but the deficit proved too large to overcome.
Plymouth State slides to 1-5, to start the season, while St. Joseph's improves to 3-6.
The Basics:
- GAME ONE: Plymouth State 6, St. Joseph's 7 (8 Inn.)
- GAME TWO: Plymouth State 6, St. Joseph's 10
- Plymouth State (1-5)
- St. Joseph's (3-6)
How it Happened (Game One):
- The Golden Eagles hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead.
- PSU came right back to tie the score on an RBI groundout off the bat of graduate student Nick Healey (Campton, N.H.).
- The Panthers pulled ahead in the third. Three straight singles loaded the bases with one down and junior Sam Malgeri (Stratham, N.H.) lofted a sacrifice fly to left to take a 2-1 lead.
- St. Joseph's scratched together a pair of runs the next half inning to go back in front, 3-2.
- Plymouth State responded in the fifth. Summa singled, was bunted to second and took third on a ground ball. Sokolski kept the inning alive with an RBI single and Malgeri followed with a base hit before Quinn's blast gave PSU a 6-3 advantage.
- Senior Eoin Hamell-Kelleher (Attleboro, Mass.) retired the Golden Eagles in order in the fifth and sixth, but St. Joseph's rallied in its final at bat. Hamell-Kelleher was pulled after a leadoff walk, and the Golden Eagles took advantage. A double and walk loaded the bases before a ground out, single and sacrifice fly tied the game at 6-6.
- PSU was unable to get a run in the top of the eighth, and St. Joseph's walked off with the win in the bottom half.
By the Numbers (Game One):
- Curtis and Sokolski each went 2-for-4.
- Malgeri reached base three times on a single, walk and hit by pitch.
- Quinn drove in three runs with his third dinger of the year. He's gone deep in each of the last two games.
- Hamell-Kelleher struck out seven in his six-plus innings, scattering seven hits and allowing three earned runs.
How it Happened (Game Two):
- The Golden Eagles got out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first.
- Sokolski smacked a solo homer in the bottom of the first, but St. Joseph's led off the second with a long ball to go up 4-1.
- The visitors added another run in the third and a two-run shot pushed the margin to 7-1 in the fourth.
- The Panthers got three back in the bottom of the inning. Quinn doubled and scored on a ground out. Sophomore Andrew Faherty (Phoenix, Ariz.) dropped a two-out single down the left field line and Summa smoked an RBI double. Graduate student Alex Rives (Gilford, N.H.) followed with a run-scoring single to cut the deficit to 7-4.
- St. Joseph's answered right back with a three-run fifth.
- PSU attempted to rally in the sixth as freshman Josh Worthington (Pownal, Vt.) opened the frame with a base hit. An error allowed Faherty to reach and Summa knocked a single up the middle to make it 10-5. Faherty and Summa swiped third and second, respectively, with Faherty crossing the plate on a ground out to make it 10-6, but Summa was stranded at third and the Panthers could not rally in the seventh.
By the Numbers (Game Two):
- Quinn pounded out three hits (3-for-4) with a double, while Sokolski had another two-hit game with a single and his second home run.
- Summa also had a pair of knocks, going 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and a run scored.
- Rives singled, walked, and drove in two from the leadoff spot.
- Freshman Elias Bourque (Nashua, N.H.), sophomore Jackson Fish (Hanover, Mass.) and classmate Liam Blair (Davenport Center, N.Y.) combined to work three scoreless innings, allowing just three hits. Bourque struck out two in his inning of work.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State squares off against La Roche for a double header on Friday (Mar. 15). Game one is set for 12:30 p.m., with game two to follow.
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