Baseball Loses in a Tough Conference Doubleheader to Dean

FRANKLIN, Mass. - The Elms College Baseball team traveled to Dean College for a conference doubleheader on Friday afternoon.

BASICS
Game 1
Score: Elms College 7 | Dean College 10
Records: Blazers 9-18, 4-8 (GNAC) | Bulldogs 7-24, 4-9 (GNAC)

Game 2
Score: Elms College 8 | Dean College 12
Records: Blazers 9-19, 4-9 (GNAC) | Bulldogs 8-24, 5-9 (GNAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
The Blazers started off up 1-0 early on in the game when senior outfielder George Chaya Jr. (Methuen, Mass) scored off of a Dean error. Elms further added to their lead in the ensuing inning when graduate student infielder AJ Cook (Mendon, Mass) recorded a one-run double to drive sophomore infielder Griffin Levesque (Agawam, Mass.) to give Elms a 2-0 lead. However, Dean tied the game, giving first year pitcher/infielder Brycen Diaz (Andrews, Texas) trouble throughout the game. The Blazers responded well in the fifth inning when senior catcher Blake Bastos (Mineola, N.Y.) hit a two-run home run, driving in junior infielder Chase Prestia (Newington, Conn.) and himself to put Elms up 4-2. In the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, Dean would rough up Andrews and senior pitcher Devin Kazarian (Westerly, R.I.), scoring eight runs over three innings to up 10-4. Down to the ninth inning, Elms gave themselves a little bit of life when sophomore infielder/pitcher Jayden Maynard (Manchester, Conn.) would record a two-run triple, scoring both senior outfielder Camron Watkins (East Haddam, Conn.) and Chaya Jr. Maynard would come around to score when Bastos recorded his third run batted-in of the day, but Elms failed to score after that, losing a tough 10-7 game.

Game 2
Elms would start down again early, as Dean scored six runs in three innings off of graduate student Kyle Sebastyanski (Auburn, Mass.) to put the Blazers in an early hole. The Blazers gained some ground back in the fourth inning when Watkins recorded a one-run double to score Cook. Following this, Bastos continued his strong day when he recorded a two-run single to score Watkins and Chaya Jr. to cut the Dean lead to 6-3. Elms stormed to take the lead in the fifth when Watkins scored on an error by the Dean third basemen and when sophomore infielder Jacob Perez (Manchester, Conn.) recorded a two-run single, scoring both Diaz and Bastos. More importantly, Elms gained an 8-6 lead. However, the Elms bullpen would not be able to provide any relief, as freshman pitcher Sal Ortiz (Springfield, Mass.) and junior pitcher Colby Arnold (Waterford, Conn.) struggled, giving up a combined six runs to hand Elms 12-8 loss.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Arnold: would pitch an inning with two strikeouts.

• Bastos: three for seven, with a home run, three runs scored, five runs batted-in, and three walks.

• Cahya Jr.: three for nine, with three runs scored and two stolen bases.

• Ciaglo: two for five, with a double and a walk.

• Cook: four for eight, with a double, a run scored, a run batted-in, a stolen base, and a walk.

• Diaz: would pitch six innings with five strikeouts in Game 1 and would go three for nine, with a run scored, a stolen base, and a walk at the plate.

• Kazarian: would pitch two innings.

• Levesque: one for two, with a run scored and two walks.

• Maynard: one for six, with a triple, two runs batted-in, and a run scored.

• Ortiz: would pitch four innings, with four strikeouts.

• J.Perez: two for four, with four runs batted-in, and a walk.

• Prestia: two for nine, with two runs scored and a walk.

• Sebastyanski: would pitch three innings, with three strikeouts.

• Watkins: two for eight, with a double, three runs scored, a run batted-in, a stolen base, and two walks.

UP NEXT: The Elms Baseball team will travel to Marlborough, Mass. to face Anna Maria College in a conference game on Saturday, April 19th at 1 pm.

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