MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Plymouth State University baseball team came up short in a pair of games at the Myrtle Beach College Baseball Spring Training on Monday, falling to Geneva College, 7-6, and the University of Mount Saint Vincent, 21-11, at Griffith Field.
Plymouth State rallied from a 5-0 deficit to take an eighth-inning lead in the opener. The Panthers scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings behind RBI doubles from junior
Brendan Flynn (Arlington, Mass.) and senior
Sam Malgeri (Stratham, N.H.). PSU pulled within one after plating two in the seventh, highlighted by a run-scoring double from senior
Owen Baum (Saint Michaels, Md.) and an infield single by graduate student
Luke Sokolski (Waterford, Conn.). Sophomore
Josh Worthington (Pownal, Vt.) tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the eighth, and Baum crossed home on a Geneva error to give the Panthers a 6-5 lead. The Golden Tornadoes answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame, though, and PSU was unable to rally in the ninth.
In game two, the Panthers remained within striking distance into the late innings. PSU trailed 6-1 after the top of the fifth but responded with Sokolski's two-run homer and a Worthington RBI single in the sixth to make it 7-4. The Dolphins erupted for nine runs between the seventh and eighth innings, but Plymouth State continued to battle. Freshman
Anthony Cooley (Brunswick, Maine) roped a two-run double in the seventh as part of a three-run inning, and PSU added four more in the eighth to cut the deficit to 16-11. Mount Saint Vincent sealed with win with a five-run ninth.
Plymouth State drops to 1-2, while Geneva improves to 9-2 and Mt. St. Vincent moves to 6-2.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 6, Geneva 7
- Plymouth State 11, Mt. St. Vincent 21
- Plymouth State (1-2)
- Geneva (9-2)
- Mt. St. Vincent (6-2)
How it Happened (Geneva):
- Geneva opened the scoring with a big bottom of the third, using six hits and a walk to plate five runs.
- Plymouth State got one right back in the top of the fourth when Flynn doubled home sophomore Sam Salvi (Southborough, Mass.), who opened the inning with a walk.
- PSU added another run in the fifth. After sophomore Ray Campbell (Torrington, Conn.) drew a one-out walk, Malgeri roped a double to right center to make it 5-2. Malgeri moved to third on a wild pitch, but Geneva escaped the jam.
- Freshman Brady Harvie (Windham, Maine) kept the Panthers close with 3.1 scoreless innings of relief.
- In the seventh, Malgeri singled and stole second, and Baum followed with a double down the leftfield line to make it 5-3. With two away, Sokolski beat out an infield single to bring PSU within a run.
- The Panthers took the lead in the eighth when Worthington lifted a sacrifice fly to right to tie the game. Moments later, Baum scampered home on a Geneva error to give PSU a 6-5 advantage.
- Geneva responded with back-to-back, two-out hits to score twice and retake the lead, 7-6.
- PSU got the tying run on base in the ninth but couldn't bring him around.
By the Numbers (Geneva):
- Baum reached twice with a double and a walk, scored twice and drove in a run.
- Malgeri finished 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored and an RBI.
- Flynn was on base three times (single, double, walk) and drove in one.
- Harvie was outstanding in relief, tossing 3.1 scoreless innings with four strikeouts.
- PSU stole five bases, with senior Scooter Summa (Ellicott City, Md.) swiping a pair.
How it Happened (Mt. St. Vincent):
- Flynn's sacrifice fly gave PSU a 1-0 first inning lead.
- Mt. St. Vincent tied it in the second, then scored three in the fourth and two in the fifth to go up 6-1.
- Sokolski's two-out, two-run blast in the fifth jumpstarted the Panthers' comeback bid.
- The Dolphins added an unearned run in the sixth, but PSU answered with a two-out rally. Worthington's RBI single made it 7-4, and the Panthers loaded the bases, but a flyout ended the threat.
- Mt. St. Vincent broke the game open with six runs in the seventh.
- PSU kept fighting, loading the bases with nobody out in the seventh. A passed ball scored one, and Cooley's two-run double cut the deficit to 13-7.
- The Dolphins added three in the eighth, but PSU stayed alive. Graduate student Jackson Curtis (Jefferson, N.H.) drove in two with a single, and Cooley added an RBI hit. Worthington's RBI double made it 16-11.
- Mt. St. Vincent put the game away with five runs in the ninth.
By the Numbers (Mt. St. Vincent):
- Worthington was on base five times (two doubles, single, two walks), drove in two, and stole a base.
- Sokolski had a three-hit game (single, double, homer), was hit by a pitch, scored twice, and knocked in two.
- Flynn went 2-for-4 from the cleanup spot with a walk, RBI, and two runs scored.
- Cooley went 2-for-2 with three RBIs after entering as a pinch hitter in the seventh.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State plays two against Mount Aloysius College on Tuesday (Mar. 18).
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