MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME BASEBALL

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Nitchman Field, New London, Conn.

FINAL:              COAST GUARD 10, MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 6

NEW LONDON, Conn. --  Freshman Brendan McNeil’s (Pawcatuck, Conn.) two-out RBI double in the bottom of the sixth inning sparked a four-run rally and paced Coast Guard to a 10-6 non-league college baseball victory over Massachusetts Maritime Wednesday afternoon at Nitchman Field.

The host Bears (7-12) overcame an early 1-0 deficit by plating five runs in their first at-bat, as Coast Guard took advantage of five walks, an error and a two-run single by sophomore Cory Sonnega (Shoreline, Wash.) to take the lead.  The visiting Buccaneers (6-5), who saw their four-game winning streak come to an end with the setback, evened matters with a four-run fourth inning rally, as senior Matt Pelletier’s (Bradford, Mass.) fielder’s choice groundout pulled Massachusetts Maritime back to within three at 5-2 before a bases-clearing triple from fellow senior Brendan O’Kane (Pocasset, Mass.) knotted the score.  The Bears regained a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the frame when Sonnega walked, stole second and scored on an RBI single off the bat of freshman Kyle Jackson (Lincoln, R.I.), but the Buccaneers forged a 6-6 tie in the fifth when junior Bobby Rosano (North Reading, Mass.) led off with a double and scored on a one-out single by freshman Aidan Desrosiers (North Attleboro, Mass.).  McNeil’s two-out heroics started the deciding sixth inning rally for the hosts, who also received RBI singles from junior Matt Hanks (Chesapeake, Va.) and sophomore Ed Lazowski (Mount Joy, Pa.) in the frame.

Sonnega, Hanks, Lazowski and senior Lukas Laplante (Leeds, Mass.) each had two hits as part of an 11-hit attack for Coast Guard, as sophomore Sean Barry (Centreville, Pa.), the third pitcher of the day for the Bears, earned the win with two innings of work to even his record at 1-1 on the season.  O’Kane went 3-for-4 to pace Massachusetts Maritime at the plate on the afternoon, as Pelletier and Desrosiers each added two hits as part of a nine-hit attack for the visitors.  Junior Zac Cooney (East Bridgewater, Mass.) allowed his first earned runs of the spring while fanning three in two innings of relief for the Buccaneers, falling to 4-1 on the season.

Massachusetts Maritime hosts Newbury in a non-league outing on Thursday afternoon at Commodore Hendy Field beginning at 3:30 p.m., while Coast Guard entertains Springfield in a New England Women’s & Men’s Athletic Conference contest on Friday afternoon at Nitchman Field that also begins at 3:30 p.m.