HAVERHILL, Mass. – The Newbury College baseball team completed the season sweep of Lesley University with an 8-6 victory in the rubber game, in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) action, Sunday evening. First year shortstop Billy Stephen (Windermere, Fla.) recorded the game-winning hit lining a two-out, two-RBI, base-hit back up in the bottom of the seventh inning.
In sub-freezing temperatures at Trinity Stadium, the Nighthawk bats were not cold to open the game as they jumped on the scoreboard first, scoring twice in the home-half of the first. First year left-fielder Matthew Sobray (Santa Clarita, Calif.) lined a one-out single into right-field before advancing 90 feet on a failed pick-off attempt by Lesley starter Koby Mitchell.
After allowing walk to junior third baseman Ryan Zahornasky (Shelton, Conn.), senior designated hitter Steven Broy (Gorham, Maine) loaded the bases with a single of his own to bring Stephen to the dish. The Florida native proved the cold did not bother him one bit, roping a double to plate Zahornasky and Sobray to give the Nighthawks the 2-0 advantage.
However, the Lynx answered with two runs of their own in the top of the second. Third baseman John Gosnell opened the second with double before advancing to third after first baseman David Hersey reached on an error. Lesley leftfield Nick Iadevaio drove home Gosnell for the first Lynx run with a single. Two batters later lead-off hitter Gustavo Polidor drove in Iadevaio for the second Lesley run to tie up the ballgame at 2-2.
The Lynx pushed across a run in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 4-2 lead but the Nighthawks were still hovering. Playing just minutes from his hometown and on a familiar field, senior first baseman Cameron D'Agostino (Salisbury, Mass.) roped a laser into the left-centerfield gap to score Zahornasky and Sobray to tie up the game before getting on his high-horse for an inside-the-park homerun to take the 5-4 lead.
The lead held until the top of the seventh when Lesley pushed across another two runs but Newbury had one last fight in them scoring three runs in the home half of the frame. With two outs in the inning and D'Agostino on first, Broy roped a ground rule double into left-center field to bring Stephen to the dish with two outs. Stephen wasted little time and lined a single back where it came from into centerfield as D'Agostino came home with ease and Broy came around from the second to take the one-run, 7-6 lead. Two batters later Matthew Peluso (Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada) gave the Nighthawks an insurance run with a base-hit to bring home Stephen to make it a two-run ball-game.
It was all the Nighthawks needed as junior right-hander Craig Barnett (Narre Warren, Victoria, Australia) came in from right-field to close out the ball-game for his first save of the season. Senior right-hander Lyndon Brundige (Rockland, Mass.) earned his first win of the year tossing two innings of relief allowing just one run on two hits while striking out five Lynx.
Newbury improves to 7-9 on the season and 3-4 in conference play while Lesley drops to 4-8 and 1-2 in the NECC. The Nighthawks return to the diamond Tuesday evening when they break from conference play on the road against Lasell College at 7:00 p.m. in Northborough, Mass at the New England Baseball Complex. The Lynx will be back in action Wednesday night when they battle non-conference Framingham State University at 7:00 p.m. in Northborough, Mass.
Lesley Series Notes:
Senior right-hander Lyndon Brundige (Rockland, Mass.) earned his second save of the season Saturday's game two, 4-3 victory as well as earned his first victory of the year pitching in relief in Sunday night's thriller…Brundige also led the Nighthawks in strikeouts along with sophomore Ethan Forrest (East Bridgewater, Mass.) with five…Junior third baseman Ryan Zahornasky (Shelton, Conn.) led the Nighthawks with a .667 batting average (6-9) with two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI while posting a 1.616 OPS (.889 SLG%, .727 OBP)…First year shortstop Billy Stephen (Windermere, Fla.) followed up with a .375 average (3-8) with a double, 5 RBI and one run scored…