HOLYOKE, Mass. — The Norwich Baseball team continued Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play Wednesday afternoon, splitting a doubleheader with Elms at Mackenzie Stadium.
Game 1 – Elms 11, Norwich 1
After a scoreless opening inning, Norwich struck first in the second.
Trevor Lussier (Lyndonville, Vt.) worked a leadoff walk, and
John O'Connor (Southington, Conn.) was hit by a pitch to put two runners aboard.
Domenic Swaine (Leominster, Mass.) later reached on a fielder's choice, and Lussier came home on a passed ball to give the Cadets an early 1-0 lead.
Elms responded with 11 unanswered runs to take control of the contest. Blazers starter Brycen Diaz kept Norwich off the hit column for the game.
Out of the bullpen,
Jac Campbell (Havertown, Pa.) and
Bryson Bush (Leonard, Texas) each turned in clean innings of relief.
Game 2 – Norwich 6, Elms 2
The Cadets answered in the nightcap, jumping out to an early lead and riding a dominant outing from
Carson Rath (Glens Falls, N.Y.) to secure the split.
Norwich plated three runs in the first inning behind a string of timely hits.
Jack Medhurst (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Michael Davide Jr. (Franklin, Mass.), and
Michael Sabasteanski (Ashburn, Va.) opened the game with three consecutive singles to get the Cadets on the board. Later in the frame, Davide Jr. and Sabasteanski executed a double steal, and a pair of walks brought home another run.
The Cadets added to their lead in the second. Medhurst reached on a walk, stole second, and came around to score on an RBI double by Sabasteanski.
Elms chipped away with runs in the fifth and sixth to pull within one, but Norwich responded late. In the seventh, Lussier scored on an RBI single from Swaine to extend the lead. The Cadets tacked on two more in the eighth, as Medhurst tripled to left-center and scored on a Davide Jr. double, before Sabasteanski followed with an RBI single.
Rath was dominant on the mound, tossing eight innings while allowing just two runs on four hits and striking out seven.
Isaac Parker (Jay, Maine) closed the door with a clean ninth inning.
Medhurst led the offense with a perfect 3-for-3 performance, adding three walks, three runs scored, a triple, and three stolen bases. Davide Jr. and Sabasteanski each recorded three hits, combining for five RBIs, while Swaine added two hits and two stolen bases.
Norwich returns to Garrity Field on Thursday, April 9, for a non-conference matchup against Vermont State Lyndon. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
