LACONIA, N.H. – Junior
Owen Baum (Saint Michaels, Md.) blasted a pair of grand slams and tied a program record with nine RBIs, and sophomore
Scooter Summa (Ellicott City, Md.) also homered twice as Plymouth State University soared past Gordon College, 20-10, in non-conference baseball action at Robbie Mills Field on Thursday evening.
The Fighting Scots used a pair of three-run shots in the early going to build a 7-1 lead, but PSU erupted for ten runs in the bottom of the fourth. Summa smacked an RBI double and graduate student
Alex Rives (Gilford, N.H.) drove in two with a double, with Baum putting the cherry on top with a grand slam to put the Panthers in front, 11-7.
Gordon scored twice in the fifth, but Summa blasted his second solo home run of the game. Baum added an RBI double as the Panthers struck for five runs in the inning to push the lead to 16-9. The visitors tacked on a run in the sixth, but Baum ended the game early with his second grand slam of the game to account for the 20-10 final score.
Plymouth State improves to 9-13, while the Fighting Scots slide to 7-27.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 20, Gordon 10 (7 Inn.)
- Plymouth State (9-13)
- Gordon (7-27)
How it Happened:
- Gordon jumped out to a quick lead with a two-out, three-run homer in the top of the first.
- Summa smashed a leadoff homer to left center to start the bottom of the third to cut the deficit to 3-1, but the Fighting Scots came back with four in the fourth, including another three-run shot, to make it 7-1.
- Plymouth State more than answered in the bottom of the inning. After a quick out, the next 11 batters all reached base. Baum singled to start the rally and a walk and RBI single from freshman Tony Suarez (Newington, Conn.) made it 4-2. Junior Cole Johnston (Campton, N.H.) followed with a run-scoring infield hit and Summa doubled home a run to pull within 7-4.
- Rives kept the baton moving with his two-run double to the left centerfield gap and back-to-back walks loaded the bases. Sophomore Brendan Flynn (Arlington, Mass.) tied the game with a hit-by-pitch and Baum blasted a shot to deep right center for an 11-7 lead.
- Gordon got two runs back in the fifth then loaded the bases, but sophomore Jack Gintof (Meredith, N.H.) got a strikeout to strand three runners.
- Summa got one right back in the bottom of the inning with his second dinger of the game. Rives walked and stole a base and senior Jackson Curtis (Jefferson, N.H.) singled in a run. Flynn roped an RBI double and Baum followed with a run-scoring two-bagger of his own for a 15-9 lead. Baum later came in to score on a passed ball.
- The visitors loaded the bases with none out in the sixth, but Gintof and junior Andrew Baxter (Thornton, N.H.) combined to allow just one run to score to make it 16-10 heading to the bottom of the inning.
- A hit batter and two walks loaded the bases with two down a Baum blasted his second grand slam of the game over the high wall in left.
- Baxter worked around a walk in the seventh to close out the win.
By the Numbers:
- Baum went 4-for-5 with two homers and a double. He scored four times and drove in nine. His nine RBIs matches the program record originally set in 1974 and matched in 1992.
- Summa was 3-for-3 with two homers and a double, four runs scored and three RBIs and a hit by pitch.
- Rives and Suarez both singled and doubled.
- Junior Nick Wilson (Mont Vernon, N.H.) struck out four over his two innings of work. Gintof allowed just an unearned run with two strikeouts in an inning and Baxter struck out two while recording the final four outs.
- Plymouth State's 20 runs were a season high.
- The Panthers have hit 11 homers in five games at Robbie Mills Field.
- PSU sweeps the season series, scoring 36 runs in two games against Gordon.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State welcomes Rhode Island College to town for a pair of Little East Conference (LEC) games on Saturday (Apr. 27). Game one is set for 2:00 p.m., with Senior Day ceremonies to take place between games.
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