Ninth-Inning Heroics Lifts Springfield College Baseball Past Emerson, 8-7

Photo is courtesy of Springfield College

Springfield, Mass. - - The Springfield College baseball team used some late inning heroics to produce its second-straight walkoff win as it defeated Emerson College, 8-7, in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play on Berry-Allen Field Tuesday.

Springfield improves to 10-12-1, 3-6 in league play, while Emerson dropped its 16th-straight game to fall to 3-18, 0-7.

The visitors wasted little time taking advantage of a leadoff walk and a pair of hit batters as it took a
1-0 lead in the first inning despite not producing a hit.  With the bases loaded, Mitch Moorman (Hollywood, Fla.) crossed the plate after Joey Jacobs (Concord, Mass.) earned a RBI when he was plunked on the back.

Emerson took advantage of a pair of Springfield errors in the fourth inning to add two more runs. A single and error put a pair of runners on to start the inning, before a sacrifice fly from CJ Rogers (Guilford, Conn.) and an RBI single from Moorman put the Lions up three.

The Pride answered with a five spot in the bottom of the fourth to take a 5-3 advantage. Peter Marsicano (Allentown, N.J.) started things off with a walk before Mike Jamieson (New Fairfield, Conn.) was hit by a pitch. Matt Fraioli (Stamford, Conn.) bunted down the third base line, inducing an errant throw to first base, allowing both Marsciano and Jamieson to score. An error put runners on the corners for Colin King (Berlin, Conn.), who singled to left field tying the game. A third Lions error loaded the bases for Evan Moore (Portsmouth, R.I.) who worked a walk, plating the go-ahead run. Marsicano singled with two gone to cap the Springfield scoring.

Emerson responded in the fifth inning, plating four runs on four hits. Three consecutive singles loaded the bases before a one-out single by Malcolm Kelner (Minnetonka, Minn.) plated the first run. A hit batter tied the game at five, before a fielder's choice ground out from Moorman put the Lions on top. With runners at the corners, Moorman broke for second base, inducing a throw to second. Kelner broke for home from third and scored before the throw back to the plate could get there, pushing the lead to 7-5.

However, Springfield put together a spirited rally in the ninth en route to plating three runs for the walk off victory. A bloop single to left by Moore started things off, and the bases would be loaded two batters later after an Emerson error and Drabinski being hit by a pitch. Marsicano reached on a fielders choice in the next at bat, and Moore crossed the plate following an error on the throw by the Emerson third baseman.  A sacrifice fly by JP Peters (Guilford, Conn.) tied the game after Wilcox scored, and Fraoili laced a single down the left field line for the game-winning RBI as Drabinski stepped on home for the victory.

The teams combined for 15 hits and 12 errors in the contest, with Fraoili leading the Pride with two hits.  Ken Manero (Hudson, Mass.) earned the victory as he pitched five innings of relief, giving up two earned runs off three hits.

Springfield will play a non-conference game on Thursday when it travels to face Keene State at 3:30 pm.