LACONIA, N.H. – Senior
Luke Sokolski (Waterford, Conn.) homered and doubled, and freshman
Josh Worthington (Pownal, Vt.) had three hits, including a three-run homer, as Plymouth State University slugged past the University of Massachusetts Boston, 13-9, in a Little East Conference (LEC) baseball game at Robbie Mills Field on Tuesday night.
UMass Boston used a three-run shot in the top of the first to grab an early lead, but Plymouth State answered right back with a seven-run bottom of the inning. Sokolski started the scoring with an RBI double and Worthington provided the big blow, a three-run blast over the high fence in left field, to put the Panthers ahead 7-3.
UMass Boston tried to chip away, cutting the deficit to two runs on three separate occasions, but each time Plymouth State would answer right back. PSU hit three solo dingers in the fourth, including back-to-back shots from juniors
Danny Quinn (Holliston, Mass.) and
Sam Malgeri (Stratham, N.H.), and senior
Eoin Hamell-Kelleher (Attleboro, Mass.) picked up a five-out save as PSU held on for the key conference win.
Plymouth State wins its fourth straight game to improve to 7-9 (3-3 LEC), while the Beacons dip to 18-9 (8-2 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 13, UMass Boston 9
- Plymouth State (7-9, 3-3 LEC)
- UMass Boston (18-9, 8-2 LEC)
How it Happened:
- The Beacons socked a three-run homer in the top of the first for a quick lead.
- PSU answered right back in the bottom half. The first four batters all reached, with Sokolski pulling an RBI double inside the left field line and sophomore Brendan Flynn (Arlington, Mass.) adding a run-scoring single to make it 3-2. Graduate student Nick Healey (Campton, N.H.) drove in a pair with a single to give PSU the lead and Worthington followed with a majestic shot over the high wall in left to cap the big inning.
- UMB got a run back in the second with a two-out hit, then added another on an RBI ground out in the third to pull within 7-5.
- Plymouth State answered right back in the bottom of the frame as Worthington's single made it 8-5.
- UMass Boston used a solo shot in the fourth to make it a two-run game, but again the Panthers responded in the next half inning. With one down, Sokolski lifted a towering shot to left field and after a ground out, Quinn and Malgeri went back-to-back as the lead grew to 11-6.
- The Beacons countered with a single run in the top of the fifth to make the score 11-7, then added two more in the sixth.
- Junior Scooter Summa (Ellicott City, Md.) reached on an error with the bases loaded to push the lead to 12-9 and graduate student Alex Rives (Gilford, N.H.) worked a walk to force in another run.
- UMB had runners on second and third with one down in the eighth, but Hamell-Kelleher came on in relief to retire the side before working out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to secure the save.
By the Numbers:
- Worthington finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs and a run scored.
- Sokolski went 2-for-5 with a double and homer, two RBIs and two runs scored.
- Malgeri reached base three times with a homer and two walks while scoring four runs.
- PSU's four home runs were the most in a game since going deep four times at UMass Dartmouth two years ago.
- Sophomore Tyler Hicks (Jefferson, N.H.) worked the first 4.2 innings. Freshman Elias Bourque (Nashua, N.H.) picked up the win to go to 2-0 while Hamell-Kelleher recorded the final five outs to earn his first save of the year, striking out three in the process.
Up Next:
- The Panthers head to Colby-Sawyer on Thursday (Apr. 18) for a non-conference double header with the Chargers. Game one is set for a 1:30 p.m. start.
– 30 –
