HENNIKER, NH- Thomas College was able to take to North Atlantic Conference (NAC) baseball games from New England College on Sunday afternoon, including a seventh inning 7-6 thriller in game one and a 13-7 win in game two.
With the wins the Terriers improve to 8-13 overall and 7-1 in NAC play. The losses drop the Pilgrims to 1-13 on the season and 0-10 in the NAC.
In game one Thomas would jump out early scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. Jeff Richardson (Rochester, N.H.) would reach on a hit by a pitch, steal second and come around to score on a Colby Vigue (Skowhegan, Maine) double down the right field line. Dillon Emerson (Concord, N.H.) would follow the Vigue double with a two-run homerun that would just clear the right field fence.
Thomas would tack on two more runs in the second inning to go up 5-0, highlighted by a Anree Benitez (Orlando, Fla.) run scoring single.
The Pilgrims would get three runs back in the home half of the second has Kevin Caputo (Taunton, Mass.) opened the inning with a solo homerun. Adam Krum (Paramus, N.J.) would reach on an error, followed by a Jordan Hubbard (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) walk and a single down the line by Greg Appleman (Avon by the Sea, N.J.) scoring Krum. Hubbard would then come around to score in a single off the bat of Conor Crouse (West Haven, Conn.).
NEC would knot the game at 5-5 in the fifth inning as Adam Krum and Brandon Adorno (Ft. Myers, Fla.) would each belt RBI singles scoring Francesco DiRe (Barrington, R.I.) who reached on a walk and Kevin Caputo who singled earlier in the inning.
The Pilgrims would grab the 6-5 lead in the sixth as Conor Crouse opened the inning with a double over the center fielders head, advance to third on a sacrifice and score in a passed ball.
NEC would get the first two Thomas batters our in the seventh before Colby Vigue and Dillon Emerson would hit back-to-back a two-out doubles, followed by the game-winning pinch-hit single by Eric Sucy (Belgrade, Maine).
Thomas' Dillon Emerson finished the game 2-for-3 at the plate with three runs batted in and two runs scored, while Colby Vigue was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a run batted in.
NEC's Conor Crouse was 3-for-4 with a run scored and a run batted in, while Kevin Caputo was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored and a run batted in.
In game two Thomas would pound out 12 hits and score 13 runs en route to the 13-7 victory.
The Terriers were led at the plate by Jeff Richardson who was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored and two runs batted in. Thomas' Nik Beeson (Manchester, N.H.) was also a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored and two runs batted in, while Derek Kane (Natick, Mass.) drove in five runs highlighted by a grand slam homerun in the second inning.
Leading the way for NEC was Matthew Krum who was 2-for-4 including a two-run homerun in the second inning and Christopher Smith (Raynham, Mass.) who picked up two hits, including a double.
The Terriers will return to the diamond tomorrow, facing off against New England College again for another doubleheader.