Demers Powers Scots to Fifth Straight W

WENHAM, Mass.— Gordon College Baseball won for the fifth time in as many games, coming from behind to take a 10-4 victory over visiting Rivier University. Both offenses were sharp early and Gordon did enough in the later innings to clinch their third straight home win.

The Raiders drop to 4-12 on the year while seeing their own four-game win streak come to an end. Gordon is now 9-5 with Commonwealth Coast Conference play quickly approaching this weekend.

Rivier used some small ball early to get to rookie starter Derek Hudson (Hudson, N.H.) in the top of
the first. Tyler Ferdinand (Middleboro, Mass.) and Brandon Thibault (Methuen, Mass.) both reached safely on bunt singles to different gaps of the infield. Both players eventually scored with two outs in the inning on back-to-back RBI singles by Jacob Rayner (Billerica, Mass.) and Adam Arkell (Dover, N.H.).

Gordon did not let the deficit stay for long, striking for the tying run in the bottom of the first. Addison Tarr (Oxnard, Calif.) led off the rally with a single and scored two batters later when Dean Demers (Sandy Hook, Conn.) crushed a double to the gap in right. Demers stole third and scored the equalizer on a triple by Alex Smith (Wethersfield, Conn.) to dead center.

Fielders had to combat powerful winds for much of the game and Rivier capitalized on Mother Nature in the top of the second. The top of the lineup was at the center of the scoring once again after Hudson was able to get the eight and nine hitters out. Ferdinand shot a ball up the middle for a single and Thibault ushered both of them home with a towering ball over the left-field fence.

The Fighting Scots answered again in the bottom of the second, but this time the home team was able to take the lead. Chris Leavitt (Bridgewater, Mass.) got on base to begin the frame and two outs later he was standing on third with Tarr at bat. The Gordon centerfielder took a pitch in the elbow and then beat out a throw at second on a fielder's choice, allowing Leavitt to score.

Still down 4-3, Demers hit his second RBI double in as many innings to score Tarr and Ryan Paulsen (Latham, N.Y.) to take the advantage.

Hudson settled into a groove in the middle stages of the game, as zeroes went up on the scoreboard for the next four innings for the Raiders. Gordon was able to extend its lead to two runs in the bottom of the sixth on a double by Paulsen and an RBI single by Demers.

Gordon's four pitchers only gave up two hits after the second inning, silencing a Raider offense that looked potent in the early stages. The Scots delivered a four-run knockout blow in the eighth with Demers putting the cap on an excellent day by smashing a pitch to the putting green beyond the left-field wall. Paulsen also had an RBI knock in the inning.

For the Raiders

• Ferinand and Thibault combined for four hits and two RBI in the opening two innings.
• Four other Rivier players tallied a hit.
• Drew Neely (Lakeland, Fla.) took his first loss of the season in three innings of work while making his first start.

For the Scots

• Demers continues to torch the ball, improving his batting average to .558 in 13 games. The first baseman went 4-for-5 at the dish with three extra-base hits and six RBI. He is now tied for the team lead in home runs with Smith.
• Smith and Paulsen combined for four hits and the remainder of Gordon's three runs batted in.
• Gordon pitchers combined to strikeout eight batters with Hudson leading the way at five in six innings of work.

Quick Hits

• Gordon had a season-high eight stolen bases, doubling their previous high against Waynesburg.
• The Scots completed their first five-game win streak since 2014, when they pulled the feat twice. Gordon does not have a win streak longer in archived program history.