Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 NASHUA, N.H. – The Rivier College baseball team swept a Great Northeastern Athletic Conference doubleheader against Norwich University Saturday, April 14 at Holman Stadium. The Raiders won game one 6-5 in dramatic fashion when Aramis Velez hit a two-run walk-off home run with two outs before holding off a late Cadet rally to claim the second game 9-6.
Norwich (4-24, 1-7 GNAC) erased a 4-2 Rivier lead in the opener when it pushed across three runs in the top of the seventh on a hit and two errors.
Rivier (4-24, 2-6 GNAC) came right back in the home half of the final inning to steal the victory. Down to his team's last out following a fielder's choice and a fly-out to center, Velez stepped into the batter's box and delivered the crushing knockout blow over the leftfield fence.
Velez finished the contest 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Teammate Michael Scanlon went 3-for-4 with an RBI.
Junior outfielder
Dustin Shimkus (Collinsville, Ill./Metro East Lutheran) and senior catcher
Corey Shearer (Montague, Mass./Turner Falls) both finished 2-for-4 with a run scored for the Cadets. Freshman
Brandon Place (Concord, N.H./Concord) hit a home run to left-center in the second inning, the first of his college career.
Kevin Weaver (1-1) went all seven innings in picking up the win for RC, giving up two earned runs on seven hits while striking out eight and walking three. His counterpart
Scott Yashinski also gave a complete-game effort, allowing six earned runs on 12 hits with one strikeout.
Kyle Bowser went 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored in the nightcap as Rivier used a five-run fourth inning in building a comfortable 9-1 lead heading into the seventh. Norwich would not go down without a fight, however, as it scored five runs in its final at-bat highlighted by two-run doubles by Shimkus and Place.
Shimkus once again led the Cadet bats, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. He now sits at 99 hits for his career, one shy of the century mark. Senior first baseman
Seth Knihtila (Westminster, Mass./Oakmont Regional) added a 2-for-3 performance.
Arthur Hoffman (1-5) notched the victory for the Raiders, while junior
Brad Hudson was saddled with the loss for NU.
Norwich continues its road swing when it travels to Paxton, Mass., to take on Anna Maria in another conference doubleheader. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
