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| Brian Johnson tossed the first no hitter for Springfield in 16 years. Springfield athletics photo |
Auburndale, Fla. - March 17, 2017 - There had not been a student-athlete from the Springfield College baseball program to throw a no hitter in 16 years, but on Thursday afternoon, sophomore pitcher Brian Johnson (East Haddam, Conn.) changed that, as the young lefty pitched a complete-game no-hitter to lead the Pride to a 5-0 victory over Colby Sawyer at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex.
Springfield College would ride the momentum into the second of two, as the Pride defeated the Chargers, 12-4, to improve to 4-3 on the year. With the losses, Colby Sawyer is now 5-6 overall.
The last Springfield College baseball player to throw a no hitter for the maroon and white was Kevin Cahill '01 G'04, when he no hit crosstown-rival Western New England in the 2001 season. Cahill, a dual-sport athlete during his time at Springfield College playing for both the baseball and football team, was inducted into the Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013.
Up next, Springfield College will take on Daniel Webster at 4 p.m. back at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex on Satudray, March 18.
Springfield College 5, Colby Sawyer 0 -- Game One
Led by a dominating pitching performance from Johnson, and four different student-athletes recording an RBI, the Pride defeated Colby Sawyer in the first leg of Friday's doubleheader. Johnson's line included 7.0 innings pitched, one walk and seven strikeouts. The sophomore also picked up his first-career collegiate win.
At the plate, Brandon Russo (Lisbon, Conn.) and Brandon Drabinski (Lisbon, Conn.) registered two hits apiece, while Colin King (Berlin, Conn.), Chad Shade (Pittsfield, Mass.), Mark Joao (Wappinger Falls, N.Y.) and Drabinski each picked up RBI.
After Drabinski doubled to right center to plate Russo for the Pride's first run of the game, Springfield College blew open its lead in the second, when Shade singled to right, scoring Kyle Allen (Westerly, R.I.) to make it 3-0, Pride. From there, King singled to center, scoring Nick LeDuc (Belchertown, Mass.) to make it 4-0, before Springfield College got its final run, when King scored on a triple from Joao.
The Pride's five runs proved plenty for Johnson, who overpowered the Chargers lineup for the remainder of the seven-inning contest.
Springfield College 12, Colby Sawyer 4 -- Game One
Freshman infielder Marcelino Diaz (Hartford, Conn.) and junior outfielder Logan Barrett (Petersham, Mass.) combined for five RBI as the Springfield College baseball team outlasted Colby Sawyer, 12-4, in the second of two at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex on Friday afternoon.
As strong as Diaz and Barrett were offensively, junior pitcher Ken Manero (Hudson, Mass.) was defensively, as he pitched 4.0 innings and struck out two in his first win of the season. Jordan Elkary (Easton, Mass.) and Zach Kerr (Niskayuna, N.Y.) pitched the final three innings and were able to keep the Chargers' bats quiet, sealing the doubleheader sweep for the Pride.
After Colby Sawyer got on the board in the top of the first, Springfield College responded with two of its own in the bottom half of the frame when Shade scored on a ground out for Barrett, before Allen drove in Matt Fraioli (Stamford, Conn.) to make it 2-1, Pride.
The Chargers would regain a one-run lead in the top of the second, before Springfield College once again evened the score when Diaz scored on a double from Fraioli. It was all Pride from there, as the maroon and white picked up five runs in the bottom of the third, including a bases-clearing double for Diaz to make it 8-3.
Freshman Marco Pastore (Coscob, Conn.) and Barrett both roped RBI doubles in the fourth to make it 10-3, before the Chargers cut its deficit to six on an RBI double in the top of the fifth.
From there, Russo singled to left, plating Fraioli, before Mike Jamieson (New Fairfield, Conn.) scored on a single through the right side from Barrett. Elkary and Kerr were able to shut down Colby Sawyer to give the Pride the 12-4 win.