Nashua – Junior Darrik Marstaller (Spofford, N.H.) and freshman Erick Bordeau (Merrimack, N.H.) knocked in four runs apiece and Aaron Agrelo (New Bedford, Mass.) went the distance allowing one earned run as top-seed and tournament host Daniel Webster moved to within one victory of the New England Collegiate Conference tournament championship after posting a 16-2 victory over third-seeded Newbury Saturday during day two of the double-elimination tourney at Harvey Woods Field.
Newbury rebounded from the loss to oust fourth-seeded Elms College, 4-1 in the third and final game of the day. Elms had eliminated second-seeded Becker, 10-5 in the day's opener.
The Eagles, who broke the program's all-time season record for victories, improved to 22-17 overall and will face Newbury (22-20) on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. with a chance to clinch the title. A Newbury victory would result in a winner-take-all showdown at 3:00 p.m.
The Eagles are bidding for their second tournament title in three seasons. Newbury will be seeking its first.
The Eagles, who served as the visiting team for the game, moved into the final behind a 16-hit attack and were aided by four costly Nighthawks errors that led to eight unearned runs including four in the second inning giving DWC an early 4-0 lead.
Elliot Kilgore (Milford, N.H.) would knock in three runs as part of the Eagle offense while Kyle Brigham (Hudson, N.H.) knocked in two. Marstaller finished 3 for 6, with a two-run double in the second and another in the seventh, while Bordeau did his damage with RBI singles in the second and ninth, and a two-run single in the seventh. Kilgore would chip in with a run-scoring single in the third and a two-run double in the seventh.
Agrelo, meanwhile kept Newbury off balance with a variety of curves and off speed pitches, despite allowing 10 hits, while striking out four and walking two and improved to 5-2 on the season with his team-leading fifth complete game of the year.
After the four-run second, the Eagles piled on with five more in the top of the third on six hits chasing Newbury starter Alex Chetelat (Farmington, Conn.), who lost for only the second time this season (6-2).
Newbury scored single runs in the third and sixth for a 9-2 game but the Eagles broke it open with a six-run seventh on four hits and were helped by two Newbury errors.
Michael Dean (Wethersfield, Conn.) had two hits and knocked in one for Newbury. Michael Dwyer (Hamden, Conn.), Patrick Curry (Hampstead, N.H.), and Steven Broy (Gorham, Maine) had two hits apiece.
Newbury rebounded to get into the final round as Jorge Pimentel
(Winstead, Conn.) tossed a nifty, six-hit complete game, allowing
one earned run while striking out three and walking two, improving
to 3-2 on the year.
Newbury, this time aided by four Elms errors, got all the runs it needed pushing an unearned run across in the first, while a Dwyer ground out that scored Joey Herer (Needham, Mass.) and a Matthew Clawson (Tolland, Conn.) single to score Corey Keane (Tolland) in the second gave the Nighthawks a 3-0 lead after two.
Elms (13-23) got on the board in the bottom of the sixth as Anthony Pagano (Cranston, R.I.), who led the Blazers with two hits, tripled to lead off and scored on a wild pitch.
But Chetelat doubled to lead off the eighth for Newbury, moved to third on a ground out, and scored on Broy's sac fly to right for insurance.
Matt Wood (Feeding Hills, Mass.) took the loss (0-2).
Elms had reached the final three via a 15-hit attack in the day's
opener to oust the second-seeded Hawks, who finished the season
19-20 overall.
Donnny Morse (Alfred, Maine) paced the Blazers with a pair of hits and knocked in three, including a two run single in the first and a RBI double in the sixth. Brady Forrest (Hampden, Mass.) was 3 for 4 with a two-run double in the first, Steve Fisher (West Boylston, Mass.) had a pair of RBI doubles in the fourth and fifth, and Pagano went 3 for 5 with a pair of doubles.
Curtis LeBeau (Auburn, Mass.) picked up the win (4-5) in relief of starter Derek Leal (Charlton, Mass.).
Becker was paced by a 4 for 5 outing from Joseph Corey (Billerica, Mass.), while Mike Marcello (West Haven, Conn.) knocked in a pair of runs. Todd Tompkins (West Haven) had two hits and knocked in one, while Austin Phillips (Thomson, Ga.) had a pair of singles.
Trenton Gibson (Henderson, Nev.) took the loss (5-3).
Becker jumped ahead 1-0 in the top of the first on a Marcello RBI single but Elms answered with five in the bottom of the frame keyed by Forrest's two-run double.
Elms added two in the fourth for a 7-1 game and Becker answered with four in the top of the fifth to cut it to 7-5, but Fisher's second RBI double in the bottom of the frame made it 8-5 and Morse's RBI double and a RBI single from Felix Montalvo (Carolina, P.R.) put it out of reach in the sixth.
2012 NECC Championship Tournament
Friday, May 4
Game 1: at (1) Daniel Webster 8, (4) Elms 7
Game 2: (3) Newbury 8, (2) Becker 6
Saturday, May 5
Game 3: Becker 10, Elms 5 (Becker eliminated)
Game 4: Daniel Webster 16, Newbury 2
Game 5: Newbury 4, Elms 1 (Elms Eliminated)
Sunday, May 6
Game 6: Daniel Webster vs. Newbury, 11:00 a.m.
Game 7: If necessary, 3:00 p.m.