Baseball Walks-Off in Game 2 to Secure Sweep Over Martin Luther to Wrap-Up Spring Break

AUBURNDALE, Fla. - The Elms College Baseball team played Martin Luther College in a non-conference doubleheader on Saturday in the final day of the RussMatt Invitational.

BASICS
Game 1
Score: Elms College 15 | Martin Luther College 1
Records: Blazers 5-4, 0-0 (GNAC) | Knights 5-10, 0-0 (UMAC)

Game 2
Score: Elms College 4 | Martin Luther College 3
Records: Blazers 6-4, 0-0 (GNAC) | Knights 5-11, 0-0 (UMAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
In the top of the first inning, first year outfielder Raynel Rodriguez (San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic) would hit a single to left field, and first year catcher Eliam Martinez (Dominican Republic) would follow with a single of his own to center field, but the Elms would not be able to score during the inning. Senior pitcher Colby Arnold (Waterford, Conn.) would take the ball for the Blazers in the bottom of the first, where he would end the inning with back-to-back swinging strikeouts. In the top of the second inning, senior outfielder Noah Scanlon-Dean (Hadley, Mass.) would hit a lead-off single to left field and would then steal second and third bases. First year infielder Jonas Diaz (Providence, R.I.) would earn a walk, followed by first year infielder Colin Faber (Suffield, Conn.) being hit by a pitch. Moments later, first year outfielder Anthony Osella (Manchester, Conn.) would ground out to second base, but Scanlon-Dean would score the first run of the game. Martin Luther would follow with two singles in the bottom half of the inning, but the Elms defense would hold strong, and Arnold would end the inning with a looking strikeout. In the top of the third inning, Martinez would hit another single to start the inning, followed by walks by sophomore outfielder Liam Pond (Holyoke, Mass.) and Scanlon-Dean, and junior infielder/pitcher Andrew Ciaglo (Hadley, Mass.) would reach base on a fielder's choice, but the Blazers would not be able to score. In the bottom of the third, Arnold would throw a pair of swinging strikeouts to start the inning, but the lead-off batter would reach base due to an error committed by Martinez. Shortly thereafter, the Knights would hit a single that would drive in the tying run, but the Elms defense would be able to record the final two outs, ending the inning with Arnold pitching a three-pitch swinging strikeout. In the top of the fourth, Faber would start the inning by reaching base after an error was committed by the third baseman, followed by a walk to Osella. Osella and Faber would make a double steal to put themselves both in scoring position. Martinez would then hit a sacrifice fly to center field, and Faber would score a run to regain the lead. Osella would score moments later on a wild pitch. In the bottom half of the inning, MLC would once again be held to a scoreless inning, with Arnold adding a looking strikeout. In the fifth inning, neither team would be able to score, but Arnold would record two swinging strikeouts. In the top of the sixth inning, the Blazers would see three-straight singles by J.Diaz, Faber, and Osella. J.Diaz would both score runs after Rodriguez earned a walk and a hit by pitch to Pond. Osella and Pond would score later when Scanlon-Dean would hit a two-run double to right field. The Knights would earn some base runners in the bottom half of the inning, but the Elms defense would continue to record necessary outs, and Arnold would add two final swinging strike outs, to finish the day with 11 total strikeouts. In the top of the seventh, the Blazers' offense would score seven runs, Martinez, sophomore pitcher/infielder Brycen Diaz (Andrews, Texas), Scanlon-Dean, and Faber would each hit a single that would drive in each of those runs. In the bottom of the seventh inning, sophomore catcher Alex Baeta (Bellingham, Mass.) would come into the game to relieve Arnold on the hill, and the Elms defense would record the three final outs to secure the 15-1 victory over Martin Luther.

Game 2
Junior pitcher Luke Guyer (East Granby, Conn.) would take the start for the Blazers in the second game of the doubleheader. Guyer would record a looking strikeout to begin a scoreless top of the first inning for the Knights. Osella would be hit by a pitch, and Martinez would hit a single to left field, but the Elms offense would be held scoreless in the inning. Guyer would start the top of the second with another looking strikeout, but MLC would score the first run of the game. The Knights' defense would quickly shut out the Blazers' offense in the bottom of the second inning with a 1-2-3 inning. The two non-conference opponents would both be handed scoreless innings in the third, and then in the top of the fourth, B.Diaz would relieve Guyer on the mound for Elms, but Martin Luther would score two runs to earn a 3-0 lead. The Blazers would be unable to score in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, where Calvanese would record a double and B.Diaz would throw three strikeouts. In the top of the seventh inning, B.Diaz would end the inning with back-to-back swinging strikeouts. Then, in the bottom half of the inning, senior outfielder/pitcher Nason Busca (Windsor, Conn.) would hit a double to right field, which would then lead to a hitting spree to begin a late rally. First year Aidan Daugherty (Southwick, Mass.) would then single to center field, which then led to a double from Osella that would drive in Busca, followed by a two-run triple by Scanlon-Dean to score Daugherty and Osella. The Knights would then make a pitching change, who would then intentionally walk Martinez and Pond to load the bases for junior infielder Manny Essley (Duxbury, Mass.), who would hit a walk-off single to right field to win the game, 4-3.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Osella: four runs scored, two hits, with a double, two runs batted-in, a walk, and two stolen bases.

• Arnold: would pitch six innings, with 11 strikeouts and three scoreless innings.

• Guyer: would pitch three and ⅔ innings, with two strikeouts and two scoreless innings.

• B.Diaz: a run scored, a hit, and a run batted-in at the plate, and would pitch three and ⅓ innings with five strikeouts and three scoreless innings.

• Faber: three runs scored, three hits, with a double, two runs batted-in, and a stolen base.

• Scanlon-Dean: three runs scored, four hits, with a double and a triple, seven runs batted-in, and a walk.

• Rodriguez: two runs scored, a hit, a run batted-in, and two walks.

• Martinez: a run scored, four hits, three runs batted-in, and a walk.

• Pond: two runs scored, a run batted-in, and a walk.

• J.Diaz: a run scored, a hit, and a walk.

• Essley: a hit, a run batted-in, and two walks.

• Busca: a run scored and a walk.

• Daugherty: a run scored and a walk.

• Baeta: would pitch an inning.

• Ciaglo: a walk.

• Pond: a walk.

• Calvanese: a hit.

UP NEXT: The Elms Baseball team will return to Holyoke, Mass. to host Anna Maria College in a non-conference game on Tuesday, March 17th at 3 pm at Mackenzie Stadium.

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