THE BASICS
-Score Game One: Mansfield University 2, Assumption College 1
-Score Game Two: Mansfield University 7, Assumption College 6 (9 innings)
-Records: Assumption (1-3), Mansfield (2-1)
-Location: Cary, N.C. (USA Baseball National Training Complex at Thomas Brooks Park)
-The Lead: The Assumption College baseball team fell in two games to the Mounties of Mansfield University in a doubleheader in Cary, N.C. on Sunday afternoon. The Hounds fell 2-1 in game one before dropping 7-6 in extra innings in game two.
GAME #1: Mansfield 2, Assumption 1
HOW IT HAPPENED
-Mansfield got on the board in the top of the first inning. Sophomore Brittain Shander led off with a single to left field and moved into scoring position when senior Josh Kulina followed up with a single of his own to left field. Shander came home on a fielding error by the Hounds for the 1-0 lead.
-After two scoreless innings Assumption tied the game with a run in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, senior Derek Adamson (Chelmsford, Mass. / Chelmsford) doubled down the left field line and came home on a single up the middle by sophomore Jake Hamel (Uxbridge, Mass. / Saint John's) (1-1).
-Mansfield scored the winning run in the top of the sixth. Junior Ryan Wentzel reached on a fielding error and moved to third on a double to left by senior Brady Mengel. Wentzel eventually came home on another error by the Hounds.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
-Adamson and senior R.J. Libby (Middleton, Mass. / Bishop Fenwick) each finished with two hits in the setback. Hamel finished 1-for-4 at the plate with one RBI.
-Shander went 3-for-4 with one run scored for the Mounties.
-Sophomroe MacGuire O'Sullivan (Durham, Conn. / Coginchaug Regional) went six innings on the mound for Assumption. He allowed four hits, two runs scored (0 earned), and struck out five batters.
-Hunter DePrimo earned the win for Mansfield as he went 5.2 innings, allowed five hits, one run scored, and fanned eight batters. Josh Colon earned his first save of the season for the Mounties in 1.1 innings pitched.
Game #2: Mansfield 7, Assumption 6
HOW IT HAPPENED
-Mansfield scored first in the bottom of the second inning. With two outs, senior Dom Lopez doubled to left field to score junior Nate Cotton from first.
-Assumption responded in the top of the third with a homerun over the left field fence by first year Emilio Acosta (Cromwell, Conn. / East Catholic High) (1-1).
-The Hounds pulled ahead with two runs in the top of the fifth. Senior Matt Lonardo (Cranston, RI / Cranston / URI) led off with a homer to left field and Philip Gaines (Cambridge, Mass. / Cambridge Rindge & Latin) came home on an RBI single to left by Acosta (3-1).
-Mansfield put up two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Wentzel scored on a wild pitch and Shander added an RBI single to score sophomore Will Romano and tie the game at 3-3.
-Junior Dillon Zona (Shrewsbury, Mass. / Shrewsbury) put the Hounds back up in the top of the sixth with an RBI single to left field that scored Hamel (4-3). Assumption added two more runs in the top of the seventh when Adamson scored on a wild pitch and Gaines walked with the bases loaded to score Hamel (6-3).
-The Mounties tied the game again in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs on the board, Kulina sent an RBI double down the left field line that scored Romano, and junior Ben Osborne doubled to right center to send Kulina and Shander across home plate (6-6).
-Mansfield used a walk-off RBI single by Cotton in the bottom of the ninth to secure the 7-6 victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
-Acosta finished 2-for-5 at the plate for Assumption with two RBIs and one run scored. Lonardo went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored. Zona was 1-for-4 with one RBI and Hamel went 1-for-3 with two runs scored.
-Osborne led the Mounties at the plate going 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
-Mansfield finished with 11 hits while the Hounds put up nine.
-Freshman Shea Ryan (North Chelmsford, Mass. / Chelmsford) pitched 6.2 innings for Assumption. He allowed nine hits and six runs scored while striking out seven batters.
-Sophomore Brian Jordan pitched 4.1 innings for Mansfield, gave up four hits, three runs, and struck out just two batters. Freshman Todd Erney earned the win for the Mounties in 1.2 innings pitched.
UP NEXT
-Assumption is back in action on Saturday, February 29th when they take on Lake Erie in Wilson, North Carolina at the Wilson Tobs Stadium). Games are set for 11:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.