Baseball Downs Newbury 7-1 in Non-Conference Action
Chestnut Hill, Mass. – Framingham State starting pitcher junior Rob Mclaughlin (Plymouth, Mass.) kept Nighthawk batters off balance for 5.2 innings allowing just one run while scattering four hits to pick up his first victory of the season as the Rams defeated the host Newbury Nighthawks 7-1 in non-conference action on the campus of Boston College.
Newbury falls to 11-10 on the season with the loss, while Framingham State improves to 10-9.
Framingham State third baseman Danny Chaisson (Watertown, Mass.) was as thorn in the side for the Newbury pitching staff. In the top of the second, the Watertown senior lined a one out single into left field and came around to score on a base hit up the middle off the bat of senior first baseman Joe Sheehan (Burlington, Mass.) for the first run of the ballgame.
Two innings later, Chaisson beat out an around the horn double-play ball then advanced as Nighthawk starter Jorge Pimentel (Winsted, Conn.) uncorked a wild pitch. He came in to score his second run of the game on an RBI double by senior second baseman Danny Tomasz (Newburyport, Mass.). The Rams plated two runs in the inning to take a 3-0 lead.
Chaisson reached base for the third time in the ballgame in the top of the sixth. With one-out, he earned a free ride to first as Pimentel hit the Rams corner infielder. After advancing to second on a passed ball, Sheehan drew a walk before catcher Tony Iafolla (Medfield, Mass.) rocketed a double into the gap in left field, off southpaw reliever Alec Thibodeau (Hamden, Conn.) to plate both Sheehan and Chaisson for seven unanswered Ram runs.
For the first five-and-a-half innings, the Rams held the Nighthawks scoreless but in the home half of the sixth, they broke through for their first run. Centerfield Kyle Schiavone (Wethersfield, Conn.) became just the second Newbury batter to reach to lead-off an inning driving a base hit into left. Two batters later, Schiavone was safe at second on a Rams fielding error as Russell DeMatties (Hamden, Conn.), reached base on a fielder's choice.
Following a fly out from left fielder Michael Dean (Wethersfield, Conn.), the Nighthawks got on the scoreboard. Third year catcher Joey Herer (Needham, Mass.) registered his 13th RBI of the season scorching a single into right center to drive home Schiavone.
The Rams added their final run in the eighth on an RBI single from junior shortstop Chris Blydell (Lynn, Mass) that plated Iafolla who had walked earlier in the inning.
Rams junior Jimmy Borden (Lexington, Mass.) pitched a solid 3.1 innings in relief of Mclaughin giving up just two hits while fanning four Nighthawks.
The Nighthawks return to New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) action tomorrow afternoon when they host Elms College at noon, while the Rams return to the diamond on Sunday April 10th when they host Massachusetts Maritime Academy at 1:00p.m. in a pair of MASCAC games.
Release courtesy of Newbury Sports Information.