MCLA Clips Vikings in Ninth

North Adams, MA- MCLA's Logan Rumbolt drove home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the MCLA Baseball team to a dramatic 5-4 win over Salem State this evening at Joe Wolfe Field in North Adams.  MCLA improved to 10-24 on the season and is now 4-14 in the MASCAC.  Salem State drops to 15-17 overall and is now 9-9 in the league.

Austin Rachiele led off the bottom of the ninth by reaching on an error.  He advanced to second on another miscue and then was sacrificed to third setting the stage for Rumbolt.  He would lift a Brock Riley offering into left field and MCLA celebrated the win.

MCLA's Bobby New (5-5) got the win tossing two and one third innings in relief.  Offensively, MCLA was paced by Dillon Maxon and Ben Durland who each had two hits.  Jake Ferrara also added a pair of hits in the win.

Salem's Brock Riley took the loss going the final three and two thirds innings.  Mike Griffen had three hits to lead the Viking attack.

MCLA got on the board in the second inning to take the early lead.  Ben Durland ripped a two run double down the left field line which scored Antonio Archina and Diego Rivera to put the hosts up 2-0. 

The Trailblazers would maintain the lead thanks to some great defense.  They turned two double plays to keep the Vikings off the scoreboard.  In the second, Logan Rumbolt ran down a foul ball and then fired to home to nip a Viking runner and keep them off the scoreboard.

In the fifth with runners on second and third without an out, MCLA escaped a jam when Dillon Maxon snagged a ball headed towards the right field corner.  He stepped on first and then fired home to cut down another runner preserving the lead.  Salem finally pushed a run across on Shawn Rebello's bloop single to right cutting the deficit to 2-1 through five and a half innings of play. 

MCLA threatened in the bottom half of the fifth, but Salem summoned Brock Riley out of the bullpen and he promptly struck out two batters to keep the Vikings close.

Salem State tied things up in the sixth against the Trailblazer bullpen.  The Vikings loaded the bases without an out and then tied things up on a sacrifice fly by Tim Catalano making it 2-2.  They would take the lead on another sacrifice fly, this one by Matt Marquez to give them their first lead at 3-2.   MCLA would escape further damage in the inning.

The lead would be short lived however as MCLA would strike for a pair of two out runs in the bottom of the sixth.  An infield single and a hit batter put two runners on with one out.  After a stolen base moved them up, Jake Ferrara ripped a line drive to right field.  The ball went off the glove of Rebello and both runs came across to give MCLA the lead back at 4-3.  Riley would limit the damage though by recording a strikeout with Ferrara on third base.

The back and forth would continue as the Vikings would pull even in the eighth inning on Marquez' RBI single into left field scoring pinch runner Luke Eggers to make it 4-4.  Salem would threaten for more but MCLA's Bobby New stranded a pair of runners and escape the jam.

Ryan Ruef started and went five innings for MCLA.  He did not factor in the decision after allowing four hits and just one run.

Dylan McCormick got the start for Salem State and went the first 4.1 innings for the Vikings. 

(Courtesy MCLA Sports Information)