The New York University baseball team split a pair of extra-inning games against Haverford College on Saturday, March 26, at MCU Park in Brooklyn, NY.
The Violets (7-13) lost to the Fords (10-5) by a score of 5-2 in 10 innings in the opener before rebounding for a 5-4 eight-inning win in the nitecap.
The Violets received a pair of outstanding performances from their starters. In the first game,
Chase Denison pitched masterfully over 7.2 innings, allowing just one run (in the first inning), three hits and three walks while stiking out five. In the second game,
Colman Hendershot went five innings without allowing an earned run. He gave up three hits and three walks while striking out six.
"Our starters pitched ahead in the count and made the pitches when they needed to," said Assistant Coach
Chris Bayer. "They were able to change speeds and were able to just keep going."
The Violets broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the eighth of the opener when
Jack Walter was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
However, NYU could not hold the lead as reliever
Matthew Millus gave up consecutive two-out hits in the ninth to knot the score at 2-2.
The game went into extra innings and Haverford scored three runs off
Matthew Wells in the top of the 10th to come away with the victory.
In the nitecap, the Violets took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Walter doubled in one run and
Adrian Spitz singled in the other.
Haverford scored two unearned runs to tie the game in the sixth, but the Violets went ahead in the bottom of the frame on a sacrifice fly by
Jonathan Iaione.
Millus came on again in the top of the seventh, but could not hold the lead as the Fords scored two.
However, a clutch single by
Christian Bloom knocked in
CJ Picerni to tie the score. Then, the Violets pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the eighth.
The frame began with a double by
Ryan McLaughlin. Spitz then laid down a bunt and beat the throw, which eluded the Fords' first baseman and allowed McLaughlin to score the winning run.
"We got kicked in the teeth twice in that second game, but hung in there and were able to kick back at the end," Bayer said.
GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS:- Walter and Spitz had RBIs for the Violets.
- Spitz,
Jake Smith, Iaione, and Picerni each had one of NYU's four hits.
- NYU stole eight bases, with Spitz accounting for four and McLaughlin adding two.
GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS:- McLaughlin, Spitz, Picerni, and Bloom each had two hits.
- Spitz recorded another stolen base.
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Jarret Weiss picked up the victory, getting the final four outs and striking out two.
The Violets return to action on Friday, April 1 (no fooling), when they host the City College of New York (CCNY). First pitch is set for 4:00 pm at MCU Park in Brooklyn, NY.
