BRISTOL, R.I.—Gordon Baseball's top two starters stayed unbeaten on the season and the Fighting Scots outlasted host Roger Williams in a pair of pitcher's duels to improve to 2-0 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference. Matt Amore (Pequannock, N.J.) pitched a one-hit shutout to help Gordon to a 1-0 win in game one, while Scott Hall (Weymouth, Mass.) held off a late rally to complete the sweep, 3-2, in the nightcap.

Game One: Gordon 1 – 0 Roger Williams

More than a week of due to snow and other weather did nothing to slow down one of the hottest teams in New England, as Gordon registered its eighth and ninth consecutive victories. Amore held serve with Roger Williams' ace Troy DeLeon (E. Hampton, Conn.) and Gordon was sprinkle in a couple of hits against the RWU starter.

Neither team was able to get much going over the first four innings and Amore was able to work out of a couple self-induced jams to keep the game scoreless.

Gordon finally broke the scoring seal in the top of the fifth inning with a pair of underclassman coming through with important plays. Christian Hodge (Waltham, Mass.) hit a one-out single to right field and eventually made it to third on a muffed sacrifice bunt by Matt Moffat (Stratford, Conn.). A second Roger Williams error on a grounder by Addison Tarr (Oxnard, Calif.) allowed Hodge to score, but Moffat ended up stranded at third.

The Hawks knocked their only hit of the game in the sixth, but the runner never made it past first and Gordon was able to close out the narrow win.

Amore struck out 11 batters to stay atop the conference in that category and became the first CCC pitcher to five victories. Rookies Hodge and Chris Leavitt (Bridgewater, Mass.) combined for three of Gordon four hits in the game.

RWU senior Shawn Cariglio had the only hit of the game for the Hawks.

Game Two: Gordon 3 – 2 Roger Williams

Pitchers continued to dominate the day in game two as both teams combined to find only three hits over the first five innings.

Gordon put the pressure on former All-CCC pitcher George Lund (W. Hartford, Conn.) with a two-out rally in the sixth inning. Moffat was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, but the next two Gordon batters were sent down without any advance. Moffat was able to steal second before Dean Demers (Sandy Hook, Conn.) earned a walk to put two ducks on the pond. Alex Smith (Wethersfield, Conn.) came through in the clutch with a double to the gap in right to score both runners.

The Fighting Scots added to their lead in the seventh inning with a little bit of small ball. Freshman Daniel Quint (Wells, Maine) was hit by a pitch and stole second before advancing to third on a dropped third strike. The heads up running led to a run on an RBI single by Moffat to shallow center.

Hall ran into a bit of trouble in the top of the seventh with a 3-0 lead, allowing two singles with one out. The senior starter looked to get out of a jam with a strikeout, but he hit the next batter to juice the bases. Freshman outfielder Eli Camner (Hamden, Conn.) delivered a two-RBI single up the middle of the diamond to draw the Hawks within a score, but Hall got the leadoff hitter to ground out to Hodge at third to preserve the win.

The schedule does not get any easier for the Fighting Scots with CCC contender Western New England coming to Wenham on Monday for a pair of games. Roger Williams has to make the quick turnaround with a tough trip to Endicott on Sunday beginning at 3 p.m.  

Quick Hits:

• Matt Amore's big game puts him in the top 20 nationally in wins, ERA and strikeouts per nine. The Gordon junior entered the day third in Division III in K's per nine innings with a mark of 13.88.
• Gordon swept Roger Williams in a season series for the first time in over a decade.