LEESBURG, Fla. — The Colby-Sawyer baseball team began its season with a doubleheader against Fitchburg State on Saturday afternoon at the Pat Thomas Stadium. Colby-Sawyer won game one, 3-1, and Fitchburg State took game two, 6-1.
Colby-Sawyer 3, Fitchburg State 1
After three scoreless innings to begin the opening game, Colby-Sawyer broke through with three unearned runs in the top of the fourth. Senior Brendan Thurber (Ashland, Mass.) reached on an error by the third baseman and came around to score on a pair of wild pitches to give the Chargers a 1-0 lead.
Later in the frame, senior Drew Inglesi (Franklin, Mass.) knocked in junior Liam Datres de la Blotier (Shelburne Falls, Mass.) on a sacrifice fly to right. Senior Tim Donovan (Litchfield, Mass.) then doubled home senior Joey Fenuccio (Keene, N.H.) to put Colby-Sawyer in front 3-0.
Colby-Sawyer junior Ryan Glendye (Litchfield, N.H.) earned the complete game victory on the mound for the Chargers. He surrendered one run on five hits.
Fitchburg State 6, Colby-Sawyer 1
In Game 2, Fitchburg State freshman Nicholas Cordeau (Melrose, Mass.) led off the third inning with a triple to the left center gap. The next batter, Andrew Currie, hit a sac fly to center to plate Cordeau and give the Falcons a 1-0 lead.
The Chargers threatened in the bottom half of the third after the first two batters were issued free passes, but Fitchburg State freshman pitcher Ryan Towle (Westfield, Mass.) escaped the jam, retiring the next three hitters.
The Falcons added three runs in the top of the fourth.
Colby-Sawyer answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth on Charlie Danaher’s (Guilford, Conn.) first collegiate hit. He singled to center to score Brendan Thurber, who reached on an infield single earlier in the frame.
In the top of the fifth, a two-run double from sophomore Joshua Macomber (Berkley, Mass.) put the Falcons in front 6-1.
Colby-Sawyer loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth, but sophomore Austin Alzate (Narragansett, R.I.) was able to get a fly out to center to end the threat.
Danaher and Doug Avellino (Woodstock, Vt.) finished with two hits apiece for the Chargers.
Freshman Noah Yeingst (Middleboro, Mass.) was saddled with the loss after tossing 4 2/3 innings in his collegiate debut on the mound for Colby-Sawyer. He allowed six runs (5 earned) on six hits and struck out three. Junior Brendan Barrett (Nashua, N.H.) went two innings of one-hit ball in relief.
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