NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Southern Vermont College tallied 15 hits with five doubles and a triple Thursday afternoon as the Mountaineers took to a 16-4 road win at Joe Wolfe Field over Mass. College of Liberal Arts.
SVC wasted no time in taking the lead, putting up five runs in the top of the first before padding its separation with four more in the second. Three runs in the fifth gave the Mountaineers a 12-3 upper hand, and the visitors then tacked on three more for good measure in the ninth while keeping MCLA from crossing the plate after the sixth.
Southern Vermont has now won its last four games, improving to 7-11 on the season. The Mountaineers have also taken their last five straight meetings with the Trailblazers.
SVC is scheduled to turn back to New England Collegiate Conference play, hosting Newbury College this weekend for a three-game set. Southern Vermont will first play a league doubleheader with the Nighthawks on Saturday, the twin bill being slated to start at 1 p.m. The team will then shave its heads for the fourth straight year at the conclusion of the day's pair to support the Vs. Cancer Foundation.
Mountaineer senior second baseman RJ Pingitore (Perth, N.Y.) went 3-5 at the plate, scoring four times while knocking in another two runs. Freshman designated hitter Dan Mason (Bloomingdale, N.J.) was 2-5 with a double, a triple, a walk, two runs scored and an RBI, and sophomore third baseman Rob Spatafore (Mahopac, N.Y.) was 2-6 with three runs batted in.
SVC junior right-hander R.J. Henle (Plantation, Fla.) picked up his first win of the year (1-1) on the hill, giving up just two runs on six hits after coming on in relief for the bottom of the fourth.
Southern Vermont sophomore right fielder Niko D'Agnese (Mahopac, N.Y.) had a 2-5 showing at the plate with three runs scored, two stolen bases and a run batted in, and freshman Joe Braim (Schuylerville, N.Y.) came off the bench to turn in a 2-3 appearance in the batter's box with two RBIs and a run scored.
D'Agnese's first swipe of the day got him into scoring position in the top of the first, and a Pingitore single then brought him around. Pingitore would score after stealing second and being knocked in by a single from sophomore shortstop John Arancio (Oradell, N.J.), and Spatafore followed with a two-out double to clear the loaded pond for SVC to go up 5-0.
Southern Vermont got MCLA to strand one runner in the bottom of the first before tacking up four more runs on one hit and a pair of Trailblazer errors in the second. Arancio recorded his second RBI after working a bases-loaded walk, and junior catcher Anthony Mercuri (Ridge, N.Y.) tagged an ensuing double to bring in two more Mountaineers. Spatafore would reach on an MCLA mishap at third for Arancio to score and make it a 9-0 advantage.
The Trailblazers were able to get two back on three hits in the bottom of the frame, and the 9-2 score then held through the end of the fourth. Southern Vermont continued its offensive production in the fifth with all the team's action coming with two outs. Freshman center fielder Zack Stacey (Saratoga, N.Y.) stole second after working a walk, and D'Agnese singled to bring his teammate around to score. SVC stayed aggressive as D'Agnese swiped second once again, setting up Pingitore to tally an RBI-single to make it 11-2. Braim then followed with a double for the Mountaineers to go up by 10.
MCLA crossed the dish once in the bottom of the fifth, only to see Southern Vermont answer with one of its own in the next box. Mason cranked a one-out triple into right field, and he was able to trot home as sophomore Luigi Magliocca (Broadalbin, N.Y.) registered a two-out single for the RBI. The hosts would respond right away, putting up another solo run in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 13-4 ballgame.
That score stood until the ninth with Henle retiring the MCLA side in order in both the seventh and eighth innings. Southern Vermont added three runs in the final stanza, Braim knocking in the first one as his single allowed Pingitore to come in after getting to second with a double. Mason notched a double of his own to plate the lead runner, and Spatafore again reached on a costly error that allowed Mercuri to touch home.
SVC senior righty Chris Bradt (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) came out of the visitor's bullpen and recorded the team's third straight 1-2-3 inning to wrap up the decisive victory.