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Box Score 2 VERO BEACH, Fla. – The Norwich University baseball team wrapped up its Spring Break trip with a doubleheader against Gettysburg College on Friday.
The Cadets and Bullets split two epic contests as in game one NU used a five run sixth inning to complete a wild, come-from-behind win, 13-12. In game two, Gettysburg rallied with four runs in the sixth inning to win 9-8.
In game one, the Bullets took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The Cadets answered with two runs in the home half of the inning to take a 2-1 lead. Freshman shortstop Brock Carpenter and sophomore center fielder Tyler Callahan (Arlington, Mass.) hit back-to-back singles to start the rally. Carpenter then scored on a wild pitch and senior first baseman Hayden Roberge (Middlesex, Vt.) lined an RBI single to left to score Callahan.
The Cadets rallied for three runs in the bottom of the second inning to stretch the lead to 5-2. With the bases loaded, Callahan drew a walk to score a run. Roberge then connected on his second single of the game, scoring Callahan and senior catcher Connor McGee (Wakefield, R.I.) for the three-run lead.
The Bullets got one run back in the top of the third inning and rallied for ten runs in the fourth to take a 12-5 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, junior right fielder PJ Morales (Bakersfield, Calif.) hit into an RBI fielder's choice before Roberge lined an RBI double to left to make it 12-7. Junior second baseman Abel Oropeza (Whittier, Calif.) then lifted a sacrifice fly to left to cut the lead to four at 12-8.
Roberge continued to rake at the plate, delivering a line drive RBI single in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 12-9 game in the bottom of the sixth. He finished the game four-for-four with 5 RBI. Sophomore third baseman Ryland Richardson (Windsor, Vt.) stepped to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded later in the frame and delivered a three-run double to center field to tie the game 12-12. Freshman left fielder Jakob Hayes (Arlington, Texas) then reached base on an error, allowing Richardson to score and reclaim the lead at 13-12. Senior John Grasso (Haddam, Conn.) picked up the win in a relief effort, throwing two innings of no-hit ball. He walked two batters and improves to 1-0 on the season.
Sophomore Nick Beavin (Montpelier, Vt.) took to the mound in the top of the seventh and picked up his fourth save of the season, striking out two of the three batters he faced.
In game two, the Bullets jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. In the top of the fourth with two outs the Cadets mounted another epic rally. Sophomore designated hitter Zeb Perrault (Chelsea, Vt.) drew a walk followed by singles from Oropeza and Richardson. Hayes then stepped to the plate and delivered a grand slam to left, his first career home run, to make it a 5-4 game.
Richardson delivered an RBI single in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game 5-5. Later in the inning Callahan continued his torrid start to the season with a one-out, two run single to left to give NU its first lead of the game at 7-5. Morales followed with a sacrifice fly for the 8-5 edge.
Gettysburg plated four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 9-8 lead into the seventh. Norwich couldn't answer in the top of the seventh and fell by the 9-8 final score.
The Cadets are next in action on Saturday, March 26th at Rivier University. The doubleheader is slated for 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. at Harvey Woods and serves as the conference opener for Norwich.
