AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Curry College baseball team closed its Spring Break trip with a doubleheader split against Greenville University on Thursday afternoon at Lake Myrtle Park at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. The Colonels won 3-0 in the first game before falling 5-2 in the second.
Game 1 – Curry 3, Greenville 0
Curry tagged Greenville for a run in the first on a two-out home run from junior Jared Keller (Oxford, Conn.) to give the Colonels a 1-0 lead.
Curry added another single tally in the fourth frame to go up 2-0. Keller started the inning as he reached on an error by Ryan Taylor (Valley Springs, Calif.). Freshman Jason Leonard (Dedham, Mass.) drew a walk to put two men on with no outs. Senior Tyler Jenkins (East Bridgewater, Mass.) got aboard with a fielder's choice to put runners on first and second. After a strikeout from sophomore Dylan Ketterer (Plymouth, Mass.), senior Jack Kallinich (Madison, Conn.) delivered a single to right center, which plated Leonard.
The Colonels tacked on an insurance run in the top of the fifth on an RBI base hit by Keller to drive in senior Michael Strizzi (Williamstown, Mass.).
Sophomore Zachary Wensley (Raynham, Mass.) picked up his first victory on the mound this season after pitching a complete game shutout. The right-hander only gave up three hits while striking out six and walking just one. Freshman Julian Jaume (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Keller finished with two hits for Curry.
Logan Murphy (Memphis, Ind.) worked 6.0 innings and allowed three runs (all earned) on six hits while striking out five and walking one in the loss. Klaiton Wolff (Altamont, Ill.), Andrew Torbeck (St. Louis, Mo.), and Mark Islas (Tucson, Ariz.) each finished with one hit for the Panthers.
Game 2 – Greenville 5, Curry 3
Six starters recorded a hit as Greenville rebounded to take the second game of the double dip. Taylor finished 2-for-4 with a game-high two runs scored. Sam Hodges (Delavan, Ill.) wrapped up the contest going 2-for-4. Devin Gumb (San Diego, Calif.) went 2-for-3 and one run scored. Wolff finished with 1-for-3 and a game-high three RBI.
The Colonels were the first to strike in game two with one run apiece in the third and fourth innings. Strizzi manufactured an RBI groundout to second to score Keller in the third. Leonard got on in the fourth with a one-out double to left field. Ketterer reached base on an error by the Panthers left fielder Joe Wood (Durham, N.C.) and the miscue allowed Leonard to score from second.
Greenville responded with three runs in the road half of the fifth inning to take the advantage. Taylor put the Panthers on the board with a single through the right side to plate Gumb. The Panthers then knotted the game at two on a sacrifice fly from Adam Lamb (Gilbert, Ariz.) to right field, which helped score Jaime Quesada (Lodi, Calif.). One more sacrifice fly from Wolff to drive in Taylor to help Greenville take a 3-2 lead. Wolff was back in the action in the seventh with a double down the left field line to score Lamb and Taylor to jump out to a 5-2 advantage.
Curry made one final push to climb back into the game in the final half inning of regulation. Kallinich drew a one-out walk to get on. Strizzi converted a double to right to plate Kallinich to make the score 5-3.The Colonels would have two men aboard with two outs, but were unable to score the game-tying or winning runs.
Lukas Whitten (Highland, Ill.) registered the victory on the hill for the Panthers. He tossed five innings, giving up two runs on four hits with one walk and one strikeout. Wolff picked up the save in the contest, his third of the season.
Keller was credited with the loss, surrendering two runs on three hits. He also fanned one in the setback. Jaume and Strizzi each finished with two hits in the game.
Curry is set to have its home opener on Wednesday, March 20 at 3:30 p.m. against Lesley University.
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