Morin Powers Golden Bears to CCC Sweep of Eastern Nazarene

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Junior infielder Daniel Morin (Salem, N.H.) drove in seven runs as the Western New England University baseball team opened Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) play with a pair of 7-1 victories over Eastern Nazarene College this afternoon at Trelease Park.

Western New England 7, Eastern Nazarene 1
Freshman lefthander Bob Hamel (Southwick, Mass.) tossed a gem for the Golden Bears in the opener, improving to 4-0 this season after going the distance and allowing just one unearned run on four hits while striking out seven batters.

Morin led the offense, going 2-for-4 with two RBI, while seniors Kevin Marciano (Pepperell, Mass.)
and Eduardo Colmenares (Caracas, Venezuela) added two hits each.

Western New England took control of the contest early, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first and three more in the second. Marciano staked the Golden Bears to a 1-0 lead with an RBI triple in the first, and Morin followed three batters later with an RBI single to right center. Freshman outfielder Erik Lacaire (Worcester, Mass.) worked a bases loaded walk later in the inning, and sophomore infielder Jared Rosenblatt (Avon, Conn.) capped the big frame with a sacrifice fly.

Marciano led off the second with another extra base hit, doubling to left field, before eventually coming around to score on an RBI single by Morin. Lacaire and classmate Ben LaCroix (Branford, Conn.) also added one RBI each in the inning as the Golden Bears led 7-0 through two frames.

Hamel worked out of a bases loaded jam in the third and kept Eastern Nazarene off the board until the sixth, when the Lions broke through with an unearned run. The freshman retired the side in order in the seventh, however, as Western New England earned a win in its first conference game of the season.

Western New England 7, Eastern Nazarene 1
Junior righthander Andrew Mulvey (Bristol, R.I.) turned in Western New England's second consecutive impressive outing on the mound in game two, allowing just one run on three hits through six innings.

Morin continued to lead the offense, recording a triple, a home run and five RBI as the Golden Bears completed the sweep. Senior Doug Milne (Nesconset, N.Y.) walked, doubled, and scored two runs, while Marciano went 1-for-3 with two runs and a stolen base.

Eastern Nazarene scored first, claiming a 1-0 advantage in the third on senior Jeremy Wagner's (Oklahoma City, Okla.) RBI single to center. Wagner accounted for two of the Lions' three hits in the game, with freshman Zach Carmody (Babylon, N.Y.) recording the other.

Eastern Nazarene's lead would be short lived, as the Golden Bears pulled ahead for good with four runs in the bottom half of the inning. Colmenares tied the contest with an RBI single to left field, and Morin came up three batters later and delivered a three-run triple to left center.

Morin's hot hitting continued in the fifth, as the junior belted a two-run homer over the left field fence, highlighting the Golden Bears' three-run frame.

Mulvey allowed just two Lions to reach base from the fourth through sixth innings, and senior Matt Fedor (Monroe, Conn.) came on to close the door on Eastern Nazarene in the seventh.

Western New England (12-4, 2-0 CCC), which is scheduled to play nine games next week, returns to action on Monday with a conference doubleheader at Gordon. Eastern Nazarene (12-9, 0-2  CCC) will look to bounce back on Tuesday at Lasell.