DANBURY, Conn. – Plymouth State University scored seven runs in the ninth inning of the opener and rallied into the lead in the ninth inning of game two before falling in extra innings to split a Little East Conference (LEC) doubleheader with Western Connecticut State University at Westside Baseball Field on Saturday, giving interim head coach
Andy Theriault his first career win.
Junior
Brayden Michaelson (Charlton, Mass.) had four hits in the opener, including two in the ninth inning, as the Panthers broke a 3-3 tie with a seven-run frame to earn Theriault's first win, 10-3.
PSU scored four two-out runs in the ninth inning of the nightcap to turn a 7-5 deficit into a 9-7 lead, but the Wolves answered in the bottom half before walking off with a 10-9 win in 10 innings.
Plymouth State moves to 2-14 (1-6 LEC), while WestConn goes to 7-17 (2-8 LEC).
The Basics:
- Game One: Plymouth State 10, WestConn 3
- Game Two: Plymouth State 9, WestConn 10 (10 Inn.)
- Plymouth State (2-14, 1-6 LEC)
- WestConn (7-17, 2-8 LEC)
How it Happened (Game One):
- Michaelson singled and scored on a wild pitch to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead in the top of the second.
- Senior Brendan Flynn (Arlington, Mass.) doubled in a run in the fourth to make it 2-0.
- The Wolves rallied in the bottom of the inning to take a 3-2 lead.
- Senior Andrew Faherty (Phoenix, Ariz.) reached on an infield single to tie the game at 3-3 in the fifth.
- Michaelson's leadoff single in the ninth sparked a PSU rally. An error and bunt single loaded the bases and freshman Owen Webber (Bow, N.H.) was hit by a pitch to bring in the go-ahead run. Faherty and senior Ray Campbell (Torrington, Conn.) sandwiched two-run singles around Flynn's RBI base hit, and Michaelson's second hit of the inning pushed the lead to 10-3.
- WestConn got a leadoff hit in the bottom of the inning, but sophomore Jake Adrien (East Hampstead, N.H.) retired the next three batters to seal the win.
By the Numbers (Game One):
- Michaelson finished 4-for-5 with a double, one run scored, and one RBI.
- Faherty went 2-for-5 with three RBIs, while Flynn reached base three times (single, double, walk), drove in two, and scored a run.
- Junior Ryan Morgado (Brentwood, N.H.) singled twice and scored two runs.
- Sophomore Brady Harvie (Windham, Maine) struck out five over six innings. Adrien picked up the win with three innings of two-hit relief.
How it Happened (Game Two):
- Campbell ripped an RBI double in the top of the first to give PSU an early lead.
- An error and Campbell's RBI groundout extended the margin to 3-0 in the third, but WestConn answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead.
- Freshman Maddox Turck (Goffstown, N.H.) delivered a sacrifice fly to score Campbell and tie the game at 4-4 in the sixth, but the Wolves answered in the bottom half to regain the lead, 5-4.
- PSU had three straight hits to start the seventh, as junior Sam Salvi (Southborough, Mass.) delivered an RBI single to even the score at 5-5. WestConn struck for two runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 7-5 lead.
- Campbell's third hit of the game knocked in a run in the ninth, and an error tied it at 7-7. Morgado followed with a double to give the Panthers a 9-7 lead, but WestConn plated two unearned runs in the bottom of the inning to force extras.
- The Wolves walked it off in the tenth.
By the Numbers (Game Two):
- Campbell reached base four times with two singles, a double, and a walk. He drove in three and scored once.
- Morgado singled, doubled, and walked, driving in two runs for his team-leading fifth multi-hit game.
- Junior Sean Dittmeier (Norwood, Mass.) did not allow a hit in two-plus innings.
- Faherty singled to extend his hitting streak to 11 games.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State travels to VTSU Castleton on Tuesday (Apr. 14) for a 3 p.m. clash with the Spartans.
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