Vikings Sweep Northern Vermont Lyndon, Lose Twinbill to MIT

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – Salem State swept a doubleheader 6-1, 7-6 over Northern Vermont Lyndon on Friday afternoon at the New England Baseball Complex. Shawn Rebello (Bellingham, Mass.) went 2-3 with three RBI to key the game one win while Zac Duval's (Middleton, Mass.) infield single in the bottom of the seventh in game two scored Traverse Briana (Lynn, Mass.) with the game-winning run.

In game one, Briana gave the Vikings a 2-0 lead in the third with his second home run of the season. The Hornets cut the deficit to 2-1 with an RBI single by Caleb Laroche (Vt.) in the fourth. Leading 3-1 in the fourth, Rebello provided a bases-clearing double to push the advantage to 6-1. Luke Brennan (Worcester, Mass.) picked up the win, pitching four innings of one-run ball, allowing two hits with eight strikeouts. Bryce Dawson (Exeter, NH) earned the save with three scoreless innings in relief. Jake Jourdain (Becket, Mass.) took the loss, going five innings while giving up six runs – five earned – on seven hits with six strikeouts.

Game two saw Lyndon jump out to a 3-0 second inning lead. Matt Marquez (Salem, Mass.) - two run shot and Brendan Greene (Winchester, Mass.) – solo home run tied the game for Salem State in the bottom of the inning. Trailing 6-3 in the top of the seventh, the Hornets scored three times before reliever Brian Smith (Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.) ended the threat with a strikeout, keeping the two teams tied. Briana led off the inning with single and after stealing second, reached third on consecutive walks, with the second be an intentional pass to Marquez. Duval ended the game with an infield hit as Salem State completed the doubleheader sweep. James Mundy (Brentwood, N.H.) took the loss in a complete game effort, allowing six earned runs on 11 hits with four walks and three strikeouts.

Danvers, Mass. – MIT came from behind to defeat Salem State 3-2 in eight innings in the first game of their scheduled doubleheader on Saturday. Starter Brock Riley (Lowell, Mass.) struck out 12 batters in seven innings of work, scattering five hits while allowing just an earned run. However, the Engineers scratched across two runs in the bottom of the eighth, taking advantage of a throwing error and wild pitch to score twice to win. MIT behind a grand slam from Zach Roberts (West Chester, Pa.) took the second game 5-1. 

Game one featured a pitching duel between Riley and Patrick Callahan (Vicksburg, Mich.). Both pitchers allowed just three hits while posting shutouts through the first five innings. Zeke Long (Albuquerque, N.M.) replaced Callahan in the sixth and took the scoreless game into the top of the seventh. Duval led off with a single and took second on a sacrifice bunt. Luke Eggers (Duxbury, Mass.) scored the go-ahead run with a single down the left field line. However, MIT battled back tying the game 1-1 after Matt Johnston (Portola Valley, Calif.) singled and after stealing second, came home on a base hit to right by Alec Kushner (Cooper City, Fla.).

The Vikings reclaimed the lead in the top of the eighth as Rebello led off with an infield hit and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. An intentional walk to Madoc Fisher (Wayne, N.J.) and walk to Greene loaded the bases, but reliever Jonah Scott (Oak Park, Calif.) issued his second straight walk, forcing in Rebello with the go-ahead run.

Once again the Engineers answered. Stephen Keskinidis (Stoneham, Mass.) replaced Riley and recorded back-to-back strikeouts. However a passed ball on the second one put Jared Schwait (Boca Raton, Fla.) on first. A single put runners on second and third before Thomas Allison (Kingwood, Texas) reached on a base hit to third, but an errant throw allowed Schwait to score the tying run. With two outs and runners on second and third a wild pitch brought home the game-winning run by Ethan Rolland (Burke, Va.).  

Riley earned the no-decision while Keskinidis took the loss, allowing two unearned runs on one hit  in 0.2 innings. Scott earned the win despite the two walks in just 0.1 innings of work. Eggers had three of the Vikings' six hits.

Salem State managed nine hits over the final four innings in their game two loss, but could only plate one run in the four-run loss. Starter JP Reiling (Nahant, Mass.) allowed one hit and one run - a fourth inning sacrifice fly by Kushner – with four walks and three strikeouts before being replaced by John John Mondello (Glocester, Mass.) in the fifth. An RBI single by Rebello tied the game in the sixth, but Salem State, which used three relievers on the day, were suddenly trailing by four after Roberts launched a grand slam to left, making the score 5-1.

Dylan McCormick (South Kingstown, R.I.) was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs on four hits in 0.2 innings. Casey Bussone (Danvers, Mass.) earned the win in relief of starter Zack Kopstein (Tiburon, Calif. ), who went three innings, and allowing three walks with three strikeouts and zero runs. Bussone gave up nine hits but just one run in four innings with three walks and four strikeouts.