NORTHFIELD, Vt. — The Norwich University baseball team returned to Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action Saturday afternoon, dropping both ends of a doubleheader to Saint Joseph's (Maine) at Garrity Field.
Game 1 – Saint Joseph's (Maine) 6, Norwich 3
The Monks built an early advantage, scoring five runs over the first four-and-a-half innings to take control.
Norwich answered in the fifth inning, rallying with two outs.
Dillan Garza (San Antonio, Texas) and
Dante Hernandez (New Braunfels, Texas) drew consecutive walks to load the bases before
Alex DeTomasis (East Greenwich, R.I.) delivered a two-run single through the left side to bring the Cadets within striking distance.
Kevin Ohlsen (Shirley, N.Y.) followed with an RBI single to plate Hernandez and cut the deficit to two.
Saint Joseph's added an insurance run later in the game to secure the win.
John O'Connor (Southington, Conn.) led Norwich with a 2-for-4 effort at the plate, while DeTomasis drove in two runs. On the mound,
Isaac Parker (Jay, Maine) was sharp in relief, allowing just one run (unearned) on one hit over three innings.
Game 2 – Saint Joseph's (Maine) 8, Norwich 6
The nightcap featured a back-and-forth battle, with both teams trading runs throughout.
Saint Joseph's struck first, but Norwich responded in the opening inning when Ohlsen drove in
Kaden Jones (Newport, Vt.) with an RBI single. The Monks answered with two runs in the second, but the Cadets quickly countered.
Geffen Franus (Leesburg, Va.) scored on a fielder's choice by Hernandez before DeTomasis delivered an RBI single to bring home Jones.
Norwich tied the game in the fourth when
Jack Medhurst (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) scored on a
Trevor Lussier (Lyndonville, Vt.) groundout. After Saint Joseph's regained the lead in the fifth, Ohlsen answered again with an RBI single to even the score.
The Cadets took their first lead in the sixth inning. Franus worked a walk, Lussier was hit by a pitch, and Jones singled to load the bases before Garza lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home Franus.
Saint Joseph's responded with a go-ahead run in the seventh and added an insurance tally in the ninth. Norwich put runners on in the final frame but was unable to complete the comeback.
Franus and Jones each went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Ohlsen finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Garza also added two hits in the effort.
Norwich continues its homestand Tuesday, April 15, hosting Rivier in a GNAC doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.
