Baseball Settles for Doubleheader Split with Houghton

Recap, photo courtesy of ENC

FORT PIERCE, Fla.- The Eastern Nazarene College baseball team split a two-game set against Houghton Friday, prevailing 6-4 in the opener before dropping game two 5-2.

The Lions move to 5-3 on the season with the results while the Highlanders progress to 2-7 overall.

Connor Simpson (Haverhill, Mass.) posted a pair of hits and drove in three RBIs on the day. Anthony Esposito (Mount Royal, N.J.) finished with two hits, three stolen bases, and one RBI. Joshua Bombard (Rutland, Mass.) chipped in with a pair of base knocks and a pair of runs scored. Dylan Louviaux (Mohnton, Pa.) notched two hits, one stolen base, and one run scored. Matthew Urena (Flushing, N.Y.) registered a base hit, two RBIs, and crossed the plate once.

In the first game of the twinbill, Eastern Nazarene collected a 6-4 victory over Houghton.

The Lions generated three runs in the top of the fourth inning to claim a 3-0 lead. Urena singled to drive in Zachary Carmody (Babylon, N.Y.) and Bombard. James Coury (Milford, Conn.) followed with an RBI base knock to plate Louviaux from third base.

The Highlanders responded with a pair of scores in the home half of the fourth to cut the deficit to 3-2. Ben Closson tagged up and scored from third as Caleb Philips lifted a sacrifice fly. Wayne Rode crossed the dish as Jeremy Newswanger reached on an error.

Eastern Nazarene widened the gap to 6-2 with three runs in the top of the sixth. With the bases full, Simpson roped a bases-clearing double to the fence in left field to knock in Josue Basilis (Bronx, N.Y.), Coury, and Urena.

Houghton tallied twice in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull to within two, 6-4. Philips and Rode both scored on a double by Newswanger.

Brent Houle (Westfield, Mass.) pitched a complete game on the mound and posted six strikeouts in his second start of the spring.

In the second tilt of the afternoon, Houghton earned a 5-2 win over Eastern Nazarene.

The Highlanders jumped in front 2-0 with a pair of runs in the top of the third. Closson singled to plate David Wessells before Newswanger scurried home as Rode reached on an error.

The Lions sliced the deficit in half, 2-1, with a run in the sixth. Esposito raked a one-out single to drive in Basilis from third base.

Houghton produced three runs in the seventh inning to extend its advantage to 5-1. Whitney Cook crossed the dish on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Closson. Rode and Philips both landed RBI singles to score Wessells and Newswanger.

Eastern Nazarene chalked up one run in the bottom of the frame to narrow the margin to 5-2. Bombard motored home as Daniel Rivera (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) reached on an error.

Brenndan Rogers (Hanson, Mass.) tossed 6.1 innings in his second start of the year and struck out six batters. Brandon Imonti (Tewksbury, Mass.) worked 0.2 innings in his team-leading third relief appearance.