Baseball Lose a Nail Biter to MCLA at Home

HOLYOKE, Mass. - The Elms College Baseball team hosted the Massachusetts College for Liberal Arts for a non-conference game on Wednesday evening at Mackenzie Stadium.

BASICS
Score: Elms College 12 | Massachusetts College for Liberal Arts 13
Records: Blazers 7-12, 2-3 (GNAC) | Trailblazers 3-12, 0-3 (MASCAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Blazers started the game off with a bang again, as in the second inning, senior catcher Nick Kreuzuer (Suffield, Conn.) hit a three-run home run to left field to drive in himself, junior infielder Chase Prestia (Newington, Conn.), and sophomore pitcher and utility player Andrew Ciaglo (Hadley, Mass.). The Blazers would not be done here, as junior pitcher and outfielder Nason Busca (Windsor, Conn.) recorded a one-run single to bat in graduate student infielder AJ Cook (Mendon, Mass.), and senior outfielder Camron Watkins (East Haddam, Conn.) recorded an RBI single to drive in Busca. Watkins would come around the bases to score when sophomore pitcher/infielder Jayden Maynard (Enfield, Conn.) recorded a one-run single to give the Blazers a 6-0 lead. Up 6-0, senior pitcher Trevor Nohilly (Bristol, Conn.) gave the Blazers four innings of good work, only allowing two runs. However, MCLA cut into the Elms lead by scoring three runs in the fifth to make the game interesting. The Blazers would tack two more runs on in the sixth inning when Maynard recorded a secondon one-run single to score Cook and when Ciaglo drove in Busca off of a one-run single. In the seventh inning, the Blazers bullpen struggled mightily, as MCLA scored seven runs to take a 10-8 and left the Blazers scrambling for answers. Elms scored a run immediately in the bottom half when Cook recorded a one-run single to drive in first year outfielder Sal Ortiz (Springfield, Mass.), but MCLA tacked some more runs onto their lead in the eighth and ninth innings, going up 13-9. In the bottom of the ninth, Elms made the game interesting when Cook recorded a one-run single to drive in senior catcher Blake Bastos (Mineola, NY) and when Busca drove in Cook and sophomore infielder Griffen Levesque (Agawam, Mass.) to cut the deficit to 13-12. However, MCLA kept Elms at bay and held on for the 13-12 win, handing the Blazers a tough loss.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Bastos: scored a run.

• Busca: two for five, with two doubles, two runs scored, three runs batted-in, and a walk.

• Ciaglo: one for five, with a run scored, a run batted-in.

• Cook: three for four, with three runs scored, three runs batted-in, and a walk.

• Dougherty: would pitch an inning.

• Guyer: would pitch one and ⅔ innings, with a strikeout.

• Kazarian: would pitch one and ⅔ innings, with a strikeout.

• Kreuzuer: two for two, with a home run, a run scored, three runs batted-in, a stolen base, and two walks.

• Levesque: one for four, with a double and a run scored.

• Maynard: two for five, with two runs batted-in.

• Nohilly: would pitch four and ⅔ innings, with a strikeout.

• Ortiz: scored a run.

• Prestia: 0 for three, with a run scored, a stolen base, and a walk.

• Watkins: one for five, with a run scored and a run batted-in.

UP NEXT: The Elms Baseball team will travel to Springfield College on Thursday, April 3rd for a non-conference game at 3:30 pm.

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