AVON PARK, Fla. – Becker College overcame a six run deficit to defeated Daniel Webster College in New England Collegiate Conference baseball action Friday afternoon. The win lifts the Hawks record to 7-3 (3-0 NECC) while the Eagles fall to 3-5 (0-3 NECC). The 7-3 start for the Hawks is the best in program history.
After Daniel Webster scored six runs on six hits in the top of the first, the Hawks responded with three runs in the bottom half off the inning. Matthew Consigli (Whitinsville, Mass.) put the Becker on the board when he drove in Sean Stone (Blackstone, Mass.) with double to left field. After an error put runners on first and third, TJ Sempkowski (Oceanport, N.J.) hit an RBI ground out back to the pitcher to make the score 6-2. Niko Bedell (Manorville, N.Y.) capped the three run inning with an RBI single to left centerfield, scoring Francis Baldino (East Brookfield, Mass.) from second base.
After the Eagles took a 7-3 lead on a solo homerun in the top of the third, the Hawks knocked in three more runs in the bottom of the inning to put within striking distance. With runners on the corners, TJ Sempkowski drove in his second run of the game with a single to right field. After the Hawks loaded the bases, Kevin Perez (New Jersey City, N.J.) hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield, plating Francis Baldino with Becker's fifth run of the game. Trevor Read (Colorado Springs, Colo.) followed with an RBI single up the middle to make the score 7-6 in favor of Daniel Webster.
Matthew Consigli tied the game in the bottom of the fourth with a solo blast to left field. After TJ Sempkowski reached base on a single, Niko Bedell gave the Hawks their first lead of the game when he belted a homerun over the left centerfield fence to put the home team in front 9-7.
The Eagles refused to go down easy after they scored a pair of runs in the top of the fifth to tie the game at 9-9.
TJ Sempkowski gave the Hawks a 10-9 lead in the bottom of the sixth when he smacked a homerun to left field.
Becker put the game out of reach when they scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh. Matthew Consigli drove in the first run of the inning with a single through the left side, scoring Sullivan Bortner (Palmyra, Pa.) from third base. With runners on the corners, TJ Sempkowski drove in his fourth run of the day with a single. Niko Bedell plated two more runs with a single to centerfield, finishing a five RBI day.
The Hawks added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on a Sean Stone RBI single. Freshman Nicholas Hawrylciw (Amesbury, Mass.) earned his first collegiate win after allowing just one run in three innings of relief.