Offense carries NEC

By rbrown
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Updated: March 8, 2019

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The New England College baseball team exploded for 16 hits and 12 runs in a 12-9 victory over Penn. State-Harrisburg on Thursday.

Records: Pilgrims (6-1, 0-0 NECC) | Nittany Lions (5-2-1, 0-0 CAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Neither team found the scoreboard in the first inning, but the Pilgrims struck in their half of the second inning. Bobby Fulkerson drove a ball on the ground down the right field line for a double that scored Anderson Jimenez to give the Pilgrims a 1-0 lead. NEC broke open the contest with a five-run third inning which started on a Jeam Castillo single to right field that scored Xavier Nunez. Jimenez ripped a line drive at the second baseman who jumped and extended his arm to make a catch but couldn’t and Evan Delaney came home to extend the lead. Joe Maestu then tripled to score Jimenez and Castillo and then Jameson Carey singled to shortstop to give the Pilgrims a 6-0 lead. The Nittany Lions responded with four runs in their half of the fourth inning on a Jackson Struve single and then a Bret Williams three-run homerun. Harrisburg kept the scoring in their favor in the fifth inning on a Casey Winters sacrifice fly to close the gap to one. The Pilgrims loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth inning and Carey walked to score a run and then Christian Aybar doubled down the left field line to clear the bases to extend the lead back to five. Maestu added two more runs on a two-run single to give the Pilgrims a 12-5 lead. In the top of the seventh, starter Stanley Vargas who was working on getting out of a jam but was relieved by Castillo. Castillo struck out the first batter he faced the next batter, Tyler Aug, made the most of his bases loaded opportunity, which resulted in a grand slam and made the score 12-9. Castillo settled in and struck out three more batters in the three inning save. Vargas earned his second win of the season.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

-This was the second meeting all-time. The teams are now 1-1 against each other.

-The Pilgrims are winners of six in a row and have scored double digit runs in their last five games.

UP NEXT
Friday, March 8^th vs. Chatham University, 1 p.m.