LEXINGTON, Mass. – The Husson University baseball team kicked off its North Atlantic Conference schedule on Saturday afternoon, as it swept Lesley University in a doubleheader by scores of 6-3 and 4-0 at Minuteman High School in Lexington, Massachusetts.
GAME ONE: Husson 6, Lesley 3
Fresh off a historic victory over the University of Maine on Wednesday, Husson (6-7, 1-0 NAC) picked up right where it left off, as it found the scoreboard first on a sacrifice fly from graduate student Jackson Curtis after fellow graduate student Akira Warren led off the game with a single.
After not being able to take advantage of a lead off triple in the top of the second from senior Tanner Evans, the Eagles exploded for a five-run third inning to blow the game open.
J. Curtis provided his second RBI of the contest when he doubled in junior Cam Rendell to get the inning started, while sophomore Matt Holmes brought J. Curtis across the plate when he cranked his fifth home run of the year to right field to make it 4-0 Husson.
The Eagles produced two more runs to end the inning courtesy of an error from Lesley (4-10, 0-1 NAC) which scored junior Hunter Curtis and a wild pitch which allowed Evans to tally the sixth run.
The Lynx managed to get on the board in the bottom-half of the inning on an RBI-groundout, while an RBI-single in the bottom of the sixth and another RBI-groundout in the seventh brought Lesley back to within 6-3, but Husson was able to hang on for the win in game one.
J. Curtis and Holmes were two of the five Eagles to post one hit in the win, while both hitters drove in two runs each.
Senior Matt Wallingford hurled the whole seven innings for Husson to pick up his first win of the year on the mound, as he surrendered two earned runs on two hits and four walks, while striking out 10 batters.
GAME TWO: Husson 4, Lesley 0
For a second-consecutive game, Husson (7-7, 2-0 NAC) found the scoreboard in the first inning to gain immediate control and rode the hot pitching of senior Connor Abood and graduate student Alex Smith to complete the doubleheader sweep.
Following a lead off walk from Warren to get game two started, J. Curtis sent a long-ball over the right field fence with one out to give the Eagles an instant 2-0 lead in the top of the first.
The Eagles struck again in the top of the sixth inning to go up 3-0, as Rendell would lead off the frame with a double to right field and would be brought in with two outs on a single from H. Curtis to put Husson up 3-0.
Husson added an insurance run in the top of the seventh on a bases loaded balk from Lesley (4-11, 0-2 NAC) to send the game to its final score of 4-0.
H. Curtis led the way with three of Husson's six hits in the win, in addition to one RBI, while J. Curtis drove in two runs as well and Rendell scored two runs.
Abood posted a strong six-inning performance, striking out a career-best 12 batters, while allowing just four hits and no walks.
Smith shut the door in the final three innings to earn his second save of the year, surrendering just one base runner in his time on the mound.
Husson will look to continue its winning ways tomorrow when it battles Lesley in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.
