Purchase, NY
(April 14, 2018) – Spring finally arrived this weekend at Purchase College, ushering in temperatures in the 70s, and the Panther baseball team didn't let the good conditions go to waste Saturday.
Like the weather, Purchase sprung to life in a Skyline Conference doubleheader with the College of Mount Saint Vincent. The Panthers posted a 7-3 game-one victory and capped the day in a 3-2 final to complete the twin bill sweep.
The victories improved the hosts to 16-12 overall and 8-4 in conference – on track for the postseason. The losses sent the Dolphins home at 8-18 and 2-8, respectively.
In the opener, Purchase rallied from a 2-0 deficit after the top half of the first. In the bottom of the inning,
Matthew Mulligan (FR/Bellport, NY) plated leadoff man
Gregory Walsh (JR/Bethpage, NY) to trim the score to 2-1.
Matthew Villalobos (JR/Brooklyn, NY) kept the rally going. He doubled to right field, scoring the reigning Skyline Player of the Week,
Patrick Wallace (SO/Manorville, NY), to tie the game.
It remained 2-2 until the seventh, when the Panther bats made sure to back a terrific outing by starter
Cody Hennequin (FR/Milford, CT). Villalobos and Wallace were once again involved in the comeback.
Nick Lasala (SO/Massapequa Park, NY) singled to left field, scoring captain
Brian Cunningham (JR/Westbury, NY). A hit batsman and a single by Walsh would score Wallace and advance Villalobos to third.
The Panthers would go on to score three runs in the seventh and one in the eighth. Wallace doubled home the single run to make it 7-2.
Hennequin earned the victory on the hill and is now 3-0 on the spring. The lefty tossed 8 1/3 with four strikeouts.
In game one, Mulligan was one of three batters with two hits. He also led all Panthers with two RBI, as Purchase collected 11 hits.
The Dolphins totaled nine hits, including two from cleanup batter Anthony Nocero.
Although the bats headlined the game-one win, Purchase's defense behind Hennequin was superb, most notably a terrific play by second baseman
Dylan Flynn (FR/Smithtown, NY). Flynn ranged to his right, up the middle, and then fired a strike to Cunningham at first to silence a CMSV rally in the sixth.
Purchase carried that momentum, both offensively, defensively and on the mound, into game two.
Starter
CJ Owens (SO/Ridge, NY) provided a strong foundation for the pitchers in game two.
Owens went three innings, allowing two earned runs, while striking out three. He was relieved by
Nicholas Torres (SO/Cornwall, NY), who hurled two innings en route to the victory. He struck out three and didn't allow any runs, holding the 3-2 lead he inherited from Owens in relief.
Michael Laskowski (FR/Floral Park, NY) then added a 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
Closer
Lorenzo Lagares (SO/Jamaica, NY) came on late in both games and closed the door. He earned a save in game two, retiring the final batter of the game to preserve the one-run win.
Purchase led 2-0, scoring two runs in the second, but the Dolphins rallied to tie it with two runs in the top half of the third.
The Panthers responded immediately with a single run in the bottom half of the inning to take a 3-2 lead – one the bullpen would keep intact over the final four innings.
In scoring recap, Lasala gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead on an RBI single in the second that scored Wallace.
Gavin Brien (SO/Brooklyn, NY) pushed the lead to 2-0 on a fielder's choice and RBI, which scored Villalobos.
Nocero tied the game on a two-RBI double.
Cunningham's sacrifice fly in the third would wind up being the game winner. It plated Flynn for a 3-2 lead.
In game two, Purchase was led offensively by Wallace, who collected two of the team's four hits, and Cunningham, whose RBI sealed the win.
The Panthers have a quick turnaround with Senior Day on tap tomorrow, when Purchase welcomes Mount Saint Mary to the campus for an 11 a.m. first pitch. The Panthers will celebrate senior pitcher
Jonathon Deacon (SR/Lindenhurst, NY) in a pregame ceremony. Fans are expected to arrive early for the Senior Day festivities.
