Springfield College Baseball Drops NEWMAC Decision to Clark, 14-2

Photo is courtesy of Springfield College

Springfield, Mass. - - The Springfield College baseball team suffered a 14-2 setback to Clark in the first game of their three-game weekend series.

With the loss, Springfield is now 10-14-1 overall, with a conference record of 3-7. Clark improves to 13-18 on the season with a 3-8 record in league play.

Brian Johnson (East Haddam, Conn.) got the start for the Pride, while Ken Manero (Hudson, Mass.), Fletcher Comment (Westbrook, Conn.), and Jordan Elkary (Easton, Mass.) appeared in relief.

Colin King (Berlin, Conn.) collected a pair of hits and a stolen base, while Pete Marsicano
(Allentown, N.J.) and Brandon Drabinski (Lisbon, Conn.) each had two hits.

Clark took the 2-0 lead in the opening frame, scoring twice while getting just two hits. A hit and a walk put runners on first and second with one out. An error loaded the bases before a hit batter and an RBI single scored two. The Pride got a stroke of luck when a Cougar base runner was called out for runners interference with one out. The ball was misplayed on the infield, which would've left the bases loaded and have allowed a third run to score on the inning.

Springfield answered back in the bottom of the frame when King led things off with a double down the line in left field. He moved to third on a passed ball before coming home to score on a fielder's choice from Corey Wilcox (Uncasville, Conn.).

Clark pushed the lead to five in the fourth inning plating four runs. Adam Chochrek (Foxboro, Mass.) kicked things off with a double, coming around to score the first run of the inning on a single from Chris Dibble (Manchester, Conn.). Dibble would get to third on a wild pitch and a ground out to second, but was thrown out trying to score on a ground ball from Teddy Downing (Cambridge, Mass.) A single put runners on first and second for David Eschen (New York, N.Y.), who clubbed a one hop double to left center, scoring both. A single from James Conway (Newburyport, Mass.) capped the scoring for the Cougars.

The Cougars added to the lead again in the seventh, scoring seven runs and bringing 12 batters to the plate. An error, single, sacrifice bunt, and a hit batter loaded the bases for Dibble, who clubbed a two run double. A single from Tyler Hutchinson (Greene, Maine) plated two more. A single and walk loaded the bases again for Eschen who followed with a bases clearing double.

Springfield added one run in the seventh when Drabinski scored on a RBI, pinch hit single from Pete Detrik (Fairfield, Conn.) after starting things off with a double to right field.
Clark made it 14-2 with a home run from Chochrek in the eigth.

The Pride will wrap up its three-game set with Clark University on Saturday when it plays a doubleheader starting at 12:00 pm.