Springfield, Mass. – April 13, 2024 – The Springfield College baseball team split its New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) doubleheader against Emerson College on Saturday afternoon on Archie Allen Field. Springfield won the opener 13-0, but Emerson rallied for a 4-3 win in the nightcap.

Springfield is now 14-12 overall on the season and 1-6 in NEWMAC play, while Emerson sits at 5-17, 2-7.

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Game One: Springfield 13, Emerson 0

Springfield produced 13 runs on 15 hits as 11 different student-athletes tallied at least one hit for the Pride in the opener. Joseph Traversa (Pittsfield, Mass.) went 1-for-2 with two runs and three RBI, while Michael Barrett (Longmeadow, Mass.), Ryan Sorgi (Braintree, Mass.), Adam Fine (Wynnewood, Pa.) and Andrew Sweet (Charlton, Mass.) all drove in two runs apiece. Those four in addition to Michael Lepere (Beacon, N.Y.) came across the plate to score ten of Springfield's 13 runs.

On the bump, Blake Roberge (Warwick, R.I.) improved to 2-0 as he pitched 4.1 innings of shutout baseball and scattered just three hits. Aiden Consedine (Holyoke, Mass.) and Max Giacco (Meriden, Conn.) combined for the final 2.2 innings of work to complete the game one shutout win.

Springfield quickly loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning on two singles and a walk before Traversa earned the RBI by getting hit by a pitch for the 1-0 lead. In the top of the second, Emerson had runners on the corners with one out and Justin Fields attempted to score on a fly ball to left, but Adam Crocker (Windsor, Nova Scotia) threw him out at the plate to keep the Lions off the board.

Springfield's offense came alive in the bottom of the third as the Pride put together five runs in the frame. Nate Garafalo (Kinderhook, N.Y.) began with a single before Lepere roped a double down the right field line. Sorgi then came to bat and plated both runners on a double to left. Barrett then gave Springfield a 4-0 lead as he drove in Sorgi on a double to deep center.

With runners on second and third, Andrew Sweet (Charlton, Mass.) lined the ball to deep right field where Tobey Roberts made a great diving catch, but Sweet picked up two RBI on the sacrifice fly to make the score 6-0.

The Pride added four runs in the bottom of the fourth as Lepere, who was hit by a pitch with one out, scored on an RBI single to left by Barrett. Traversa then plated Barrett and Sorgi on a double to right before McCarty hit a slow rolling ball that allowed Traversa to score to push Springfield's lead to ten.

Before the game was over, Springfield registered three runs in the bottom of the sixth on a single up the middle by Crocker and a two run knock by Fine to account for the 13-0 final.

Emerson loaded the bases on three hits in the top of the seventh, but Giacco got Fields to strike out swinging to end the game.

Game 2: Emerson 4, Springfield 3

Both teams used infield knocks to score one run apiece in the first inning before Springfield loaded the bases in the bottom of the second and used a Lions error and a ground out by Crocker to go ahead 3-1.

The score remained the same until the top of the eighth when Emerson scored three times for a 4-3 edge. The Lions loaded the bases on two singles and a walk before a costly error allowed the Lions to knot the game at 3-3. A ground out by Robby Posio added Emerson's fourth run of the frame.

Aidan Rice, who came on in relief in the sixth, pitched the final four innings for Emerson as he earned his first win of the season (1-3). Rice allowed just one walk and struck out five as after the Lions took the lead in the eighth allowed just two Springfield runners to reach.

Springfield will step out of conference play for a match up at Amherst College on Monday, April 15 at 3:30 pm.