NORTHFIELD, Vt. - The Norwich University baseball team split a pivotal Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader with Lasell University on Saturday at Garrity Field, falling 6-4 in the opener before responding with a dramatic 6-5 walk-off victory in the nightcap.
The Cadets combined for 18 hits across the two games and showed resilience throughout the afternoon, answering an early loss with a late rally in game two to secure the split.
Geffen Franus (Leesburg, Va.) paced the Norwich offense on the day with two hits in each game, while
Jon Ringer (Cupertino, Calif.),
Kevin Ohlsen (Shirley, N.Y.),
Alex DeTomasis (East Greenwich, R.I.), and
Michael Davide Jr. (Franklin, Mass.) all delivered key contributions in the split.
Trevor Lussier (Lyndonville, Vt.) also drove in runs in both contests.
Game 1: Lasell 6, Norwich 4
Norwich came out with early energy in the opener, plating two runs in the bottom of the first.
Michael Sabasteanski (Ashburn, Va.) came around to score on an RBI single up the middle by Lussier, and Davide Jr. followed with a single to third that brought home Lussier for a 2-0 lead.
Lasell answered in the second, using a two-run single to pull even at 2-2, before taking control in the fourth. The Lasers capitalized on a Norwich error and followed with a two-run double to jump in front 5-2.
The Cadets chipped away in the fifth when Franus scored on a sacrifice fly from
John O'Connor (Southington, Conn.), trimming the deficit to two.
Norwich made another push in the sixth. DeTomasis came home on a fielder's choice by
Jack Medhurst (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), who reached safely and advanced to second on the throw, bringing the Cadets back within 5-4.
Lasell added an insurance run in the seventh and held Norwich off the board in the bottom half to seal the opener.
Franus led the Norwich offense in game one, going 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. DeTomasis and Ohlsen each added two-hit performances, while Lussier and Davide Jr. each recorded an RBI. Sabasteanski and O'Connor also added doubles as part of a 10-hit effort for the Cadets.
Game 2: Norwich 6, Lasell 5
The second game unfolded as a tense pitchers' battle early before Lasell broke through in the sixth inning with three runs to grab a 3-0 lead, before adding another run in the eighth.
Norwich remained within striking distance and finally broke through in the eighth. Lussier scored after Davide Jr. was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Ohlsen followed with an RBI single to right that plated
Dillan Garza (San Antonio, Texas). Medhurst then delivered another run-scoring single to right, bringing home Ringer and cutting the deficit to 4-3.
Lasell answered with an insurance run in the top of the ninth to extend the lead to 5-3, setting the stage for a dramatic ending, but Norwich delivered one final rally in the bottom half.
After loading the bases in the bottom half, Ringer lined a walk-off double that brought home Garza,
Domenic Swaine (Leominster, Mass.), and Sabasteanski to complete the comeback and hand the Cadets a 6-5 victory.
Ringer finished game two with three RBIs, while Medhurst, Davide Jr., and Ohlsen each drove in a run. Franus and DeTomasis both recorded two-hit games, and Sabasteanski doubled and scored in the decisive ninth-inning rally.
On the mound,
Jac Campbell (Havertown, Pa.) kept Norwich in the game with 5.2 innings of work, allowing three runs while striking out three.
Bryson Bush (Leonard, Texas) followed with 1.1 scoreless innings in relief, and
Nathan Abbott (Durham, Maine) earned the win after closing out the final frame.
The Cadets will look to build on the nightcap momentum in their next outing, traveling to Dean College on Monday, Apr. 20, for another key GNAC doubleheader. Game one is slated for 12:00 p.m.
