Cougars Wrap Up Trip With Split Against Roger Williams

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Lakeland, Fla. – Clark wrapped up its 2011 stay in Florida with a split with Roger Williams following an 11-4 win in the opener and a 13-5 defeat in the nightcap to end their spring break trip at an impressive 7-3.

The Cougars jumper on Hawks' starter J.P. Gouthro almost immediately, getting a pair of run in the first on a Scott Hollingsworth (Tilton, N.H.) bases loaded walk and a Nicholas Kellogg (Florence, Mass.) sacrifice fly.

Clark was right back at it in the second as freshman Brian Sullivan (Auburn, Mass.) blasted a three-run homerun to bump the Cougar edge to 5-0.

After Clark added an unearned run in the third, Roger Williams finally got to Cougar start Derek Dubois (Danvers, Mass.) with two runs of their own on a two-run homerun by Tony Trafecanty.

Clark was able to get those two runs right back on a Jeremy Gerber (Amherst, Mass.) RBI and freshman Nicholas Flemister (Pittsford, N.Y.) then crossed the dish on a wild pitch.

The Hawks closed the gap to 8-4 when Mike Thomas drove in two runs with a single to left, but as they did before, the Cougars answered back with three runs on RBI's from Flemister, Matt Bohl (Amherst, Mass.) and Justin Griffin (Manchester, N.H.).

Dubois did the rest, tossing a complete game, seven-hitter with six strikeouts and just one walk to pick up his second win of the season.

Clark actually took a 4-0 lead in the second game in support of starter Nicholas Winchell (Scituate, R.I.). An RBI single by Sullivan in the first, then his second three-run homerun of the day had the Cougars thinking sweep.

Roger Williams, however, scored eight runs in the bottom of the third highlighted by an two-run single by John Oppenhimer and an RBI double from Tim Georgen.

With the score sitting at 8-4, the Hawks tacked on four more in the fifth as T.J. Oliver came up with the big blow, delivering a two-run single to left center.

Clark used six pitchers in the game and Winchell (0-1), who went 2.1 innings and allowed six runs (five earned) took the loss.

Kellogg had three hits in the first game to lead the Cougar offense, while Charles Sakany (Vero Beach, Fla.) and Sullivan each had a pair of hits in the nightcap.

Clark will open up NEWMAC play on Friday with a single game at the Coast Guard Academy beginning at 3:30 p.m.