Baseball Goes 2-1 Over Final Three Games in Florida
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Curry College Baseball Team posted a 2-1 record in its final three games in Florida. On March 17, Curry split a doubleheader against Fitchburg State, dropping the opener, 4-0, before bouncing back in the nightcap, 13-2. On March 18, the Colonels built a 7-0 lead then held on for a 7-6 win over Wheaton College.
In Game 1 vs. the Falcons (3-4), sophomore pitcher Perry Russo cruised to his first victory, posting a complete-game shutout. Russo yielded only three hits, while striking out seven. Junior Chris Costa suffered the loss for Curry (1-5), tossing a complete game, five-hitter. Costa allowed four runs in the contest (one earned), while striking out four. The Falcons improved to 3-4. In the nightcap, the Colonels used a 12-1 run over the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to open up a 1-0 contest. In the bottom of the fourth, Curry touched for four runs, using an RBI double by Tim Sweeney. Sophomore Matt Drew and junior Ben Blaisdell opened the inning with back-to-back base hits before Sweeney stepped in and laced a two-run triple to right-center. The Colonels struck again in the fifth, posting five runs on five hits. Curry strung together a two-out rally as Rick Vail connected for a triple down the right field line, plating three and Brad Hawn followed with a run scoring single. Fitchburg starter Alex Teal suffered the loss, while Curry starter Ben Howrigan earned the victory with five innings of two-hit, shutout baseball.
Against nationally-ranked Wheaton (#17), the Colonels improved to 3-5 while the Lyons fell to 3-2. Curry got a three-run home run from senior Tim Sweeney in the top of the second, an RBI groundout from Brad Hawn and a sacrifice fly from sophomore David Stevens in the top of the third, and single runs in the fourth and ninth to build a 7-0 lead. Senior Tony Luciani singled in what proved to be the game-winning run in the top of the final frame. Senior Cory Moore shut down Wheaton over six innings, scattering six hits, walking two and striking out six. But in the bottom of the ninth, the Lyons sent 11 batters to the plate. Three hits, a trio of walks and a pair of hit batsmen led to six runs with one out, as Wheaton loaded the bases with the winning run at second. However, junior Joe Carrig – Curry's third pitcher of the frame – induced a game-ending double play to preserve the win.
Game 6 vs. Fitchburg State
Game 7 vs. Fitchburg State
Game 8 vs. Wheaton
