NEW ROCHELLE, NY – Sophomore second baseman
Matthew Mulligan drove in the game-winning run in the top of the 11th and senior closer
Neal Koch recorded two strikeouts in the bottom half of the inning to help lead the Purchase baseball team to a 7-5 victory at the College of New Rochelle Wednesday night.
Purchase trailed the non-conference Blue Angels by a pair of runs after six innings, but rallied in the top of the eighth to tie the game at 2-all. PC's
Glennd Jarrin (SO/Bronx, NY) advanced home on a CNR passed ball to record the first run for the visitors, while
Dylan Flynn (SO/Hauppauge, NY) later scored on an error to make it 2-2.
The Panthers tacked on three more runs in extra innings, all unearned.
Patrick Wallace (JR/Manorville, NY) got things rolling for Purchase with a single to right field in the top of the 10th inning. The next at bat, Matt Nilsen (SO/Bellmore, NY), reached on an error by the CNR first baseman which also brought pinch runner
Devin Merone (SR/Eastchester, NY) in from second base to score (3-2).
With
Brian Cunningham (SR/Westbury, NY) up at the plate, Nilsen and Wallace used the same pitch to swipe second and third, respectively, and an error by the catcher attempting to make the out at third, allowed Wallace to score (4-2). Nilsen recorded the final run of the inning on a
Jackson Hill (JR/Brooklyn, NY) RBI fielder's choice.
Trailing 5-2, New Rochelle fired in three runs on two hits in the bottom half of the inning to even the score at 5-5, but the Purchase bats went to work in the 11th as the Panthers clawed back out in front yet again (7-5).
Senior Greg Walsh (Bethpage, NY) reached on a CNR error and later stole second. Flynn pushed Walsh to third with a ground out to the first baseman, and Mulligan (Bellport, NY) was tagged with the game-winning RBI after he singled to left center field to bring Walsh home to score (6-5). Cunningham recorded the second RBI of the inning with a single to the shortstop that scored teammate
Gavin Brien (JR/Brooklyn, NY).
Koch (SR/Clarkstown, NY) came in for
CJ Owens (JR/Ridge, NY) to start the bottom of the 11th inning. The veteran pitcher recorded back-to-back outs against the first two batters, allowed the next at-bat to get on with a triple, but struck out the fourth batter to secure the 7-5 Panther victory and record his first save of the season.
The Panthers return to Skyline action this Saturday with a home doubleheader against St. Joseph's College (L.I.). First pitch is slated for 11 a.m.
