WALTHAM, Mass. - Rick Vail (Lynnfield, Mass.) belted a two-run home run and drove in four as top-seeded Curry knocked off #8 Daniel Webster, 13-3, in an ECAC Division III New England Tournament quarterfinal match-up Wednesday afternoon in Waltham. The Colonels (28-13) advance to the semi-finals on Saturday and will host either #4 Suffolk or #5 Framingham State. The Eagles conclude their most-successful season ever at 21-17.
Daniel Webster hung tough through the first three innings, plating single runs in the first and third frames on a sacrifice fly by freshman Elliot Kilgore (Milford, N.H.) and a steal of home by freshman Josh Chasse (Haverhill, Mass.). Curry scored one time in each of its first two at-bats, resulting in a 2-2 tie through 3 1/2 innings.
But in innings four through seven, the potent Colonels' offense went on to score eight more times off Eagles' sophomore starter Kory Kiro (Goffstown, N.H.) and three times off freshman reliever Skyler Gregorek (Schuylerville, N.Y.).
The fourth inning was highlighted by an RBI triple off the bat of senior Jesse Bruinsma (Lynnfield, Mass.). The sixth frame featured Vail's round-tripper, along with a two-run single from senior Tim Sweeney (Walpole, Mass.).
Daniel Webster scratched out five hits off Curry senior starter Cory Collins (Whitman, Mass.), including a 3-for-3 effort from freshman Darrik Marstaller (Spofford, N.H.), and a 2-for-4 performance from Chasse that included two runs scored.
Vail finished 2-for-3 with four RBI, while Sweeney, senior Tony Luciani (Weymouth, Mass.) and junior Brad Hawn (Chino Hills, Calif.) each knocked in a pair of runs.
Collins improved to 6-2 on the year, allowing two earned runs and three walks while striking out two over seven innings. Kiro fell to 5-3, surrendering 13 hits, nine earned runs and three walks while fanning two in five innings of work.
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