Baseball: Norwich Splits GNAC Doubleheader At Johnson & Wales

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Norwich University baseball team split a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader with Johnson & Wales University Sunday afternoon at Pierce Field. Johnson & Wales posted a 7-1 victory in the opener, but Norwich rallied from a 9-3 deficit to take a 13-11 decision in the nightcap.

Johnson & Wales (3-16, 1-3 GNAC) got on the board early in the first game of the twinbill when a two-run double by Jonathan Melendez put the Wildcats on top 2-0. JWU extended its lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the third on back-to-back RBI singles by Melendez and Zach Boyes. The Wildcats added a single run in the fourth inning, and they plated two more runs in the fifth to move in front 7-0.

Norwich (2-12, 1-3 GNAC) managed to get on the board in the top of the seventh, but it was not enough as the Wildcats cruised to the 7-1 victory. Melendez was 2-for-3 with a run and four RBI, and Boyes went 3-for-3 with one run scored and one RBI to pace the Wildcats at the plate. Nick Marine (1-2) notched the complete game victory for JWU, allowing one run on three hits with five strikeouts.

Austin Shaw (0-3) yielded four earned runs on eight hits over 4.0 innings. Jonathan Philbrook came on in relief and fired 2.0 scoreless innings.

In the nightcap, Norwich took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI single by Kase Cook. Johnson & Wales responded in the bottom of the frame as the Wildcats pushed across four runs to take a 4-1 advantage after the opening frame.

The game remained 4-1 until the top of the fourth inning when Norwich scored two runs on an RBI single by David Wygonski and an RBI groundout by Dustin Fleming. JWU added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI double by Alosco and a run scoring single by Katz. After a Norwich wild pitch scored a run for the Wildcats, the team took a 9-3 lead on a two-run single by Matt Yaeger.

Norwich rallied in the top of the fifth when the Cadets plated 10 unearned runs to take a 13-9 lead. A two-run single by Travis Dyke and a two-run triple by Rob Knox capped the outburst, which gave NU a four-run lead.

Johnson & Wales got two runs back in the bottom of the fifth inning, but the Wildcats could get no closer as Norwich held on for its first league victory of the young season.

Dyke went 2-for-4 with three runs and two RBI for Norwich, while Dustin Shimkus was 3-for-5 with a pair of runs scored. Brad Hudson (1-0) picked up the win for Norwich, allowing two runs on four hits over 3.0 innings of work. Conar Mahon recorded the final out to earn his first save of the season.

The Cadets will continue their 2010 schedule on Tuesday, March 30, when they travel to Bennington, Vt., to take on Southern Vermont College.

Print Friendly Version