ROCHDALE, Mass. – The Southern Vermont College baseball team broke its record for the most runs scored in a conference game on Sunday—a mark set earlier this season—as the visiting Mountaineers pulled away for a 21-6 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) victory over Becker College at Rochdale Park.
SVC was up 5-0 going into the top of the sixth, and that's when the Mountaineer bats exploded for 11 runs and the comfortable advantage. Becker got on the board in the home half of the frame, but Southern Vermont's offense continued to score over the next two innings to secure the win and keep the Hawks from taking the season sweep.
The Mountaineers (7-17, 5-9 NECC) are at home for their next game as SVC hosts Skidmore College on Tuesday for a 4 p.m. non-conference start.
Southern Vermont's previous best for the most runs in a league matchup came in an 18-7 win over Dean College on March 30.
SVC senior third baseman Rob Spatafore (Mahopac, N.Y.) was 3-3 with two walks and three runs scored while junior catcher Dan Mason (Bloomingdale, N.J.) went 2-3 with a walk, five RBIs, and two runs scored. Junior first baseman Cody Sullivan (Brunswick, N.Y.) had a 2-5 showing from the batter's box with a walk, three runs batted in, and another three runs scored, and senior shortstop John Arancio (Oradell, N.J.) went 2-4 with a walk, three RBIs, and a run scored.
Mountaineer freshman left-hander Dylan Ramirez (Orlando, Fla.) tossed the first six innings from the hill—striking out two and giving up three runs on just three hits and two walks for the win (2-2). Sophomore righty Rees Lesoine (Florence, Mont.) picked up the three-inning save for his second close of the year.
Southern Vermont didn't record a hit in the top of the first—yet still scored two runs as the visitors took advantage of three Becker errors. Spatafore then tallied a two-run jack to left in the second to help SVC go on top 5-0.
Ramirez retired the first seven batters he faced and 16 of the Hawks' first 17 players who went to the plate; the only batter to reach safely in that stretch did so on a walk as he kept the no-no going through the end of the fifth.
In the top of the sixth, Southern Vermont garnered a bunch of breathing room as the Mountaineers sent 16 batters to the dish and forced two Becker pitching changes during the frame. With runners at every base, Mason cleared the pond with a double to center; SVC then recorded three-straight RBI singles to pad the cushion. Mason would send a sacrifice fly out to center for his fourth run batted in of the inning while his team kept the runs coming around.
Becker came back in the bottom of the box and finally got to Ramirez by scoring three runs on three hits—only to see the Mountaineers respond with three of their own in the eighth. Sullivan had an RBI base hit during the box before Arancio cranked a run-scoring triple to center.
The Hawks were able to scratch across three more the rest of the way, but it would fall far short of a comeback as the Southern Vermont advantage carried through the final out.
– #LetsGoSVC –