Chetelat’s Grand Slam Rockets Newbury Over Rivier

Nashua, NH – Alex Chetelat (Farmington, CT) hit a towering grand slam to deep center field in the top of the 7th inning to boost the Newbury College Nighthawks to a 16-5 win in a non-conference baseball matchup tonight in Nashua, NH. The 9 inning game was shortened due to darkness, but the Nighthawks had things well in hand after a 6 run seventh inning, capped off by the homerun, pushed the lead to 11 runs.

Newbury got on the board in the top of the first inning after Kyle Schiavone (Wethersfield, CT) hit a triple off starting pitcher Ford Coates (Raymond, NH) to drive in the game's first run. Schiavone scored one batter later as Chetelat lofted a sacrifice fly to center field. Rivier jumped ahead in the bottom of the first after a one out walk to Kevin Romero (Waterbury, CT) and a single by Aramis Velez (Lowell, MA) were followed up by a three run homerun to left field by Kyle Bowser (Newington, NH) to put the home team up 3-2.

Newbury took the lead again in the top of the second inning after Michael Dean (Weathersfield, CT) tripled to right field to start the inning and was driven in one batter later on a ground out. Chris Murphy (Griswold, CT) then singled and later scored to make it 4-3 in favor of Newbury. Newbury added 2 more runs in the top of the third inning off new pitcher Nathan Knoetig (Manchester, NH) and then added 4 runs in the top of the fifth inning off freshman pitcher Mike Fecteau (Epping, NH). In the bottom of the inning the Raiders got back two runs on a Bowser fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly by Knoetig.

A clean sixth inning led to the top of the seventh, and 6 runs buy the Nighthawks, and the grand slam that shut the door closed for the Raiders. Rivier tried to make some noise in the bottom half of the inning with 2 straight singles by Romero and Velez, but a fielder's choice groundout by Bowser and a strikeout by Knoetig ended the minor threat and the umpires were forced to end the game due to darkness.

Chetelat went 3 for 4 with 5 RBIs and Dean finished 3 for 4 with 3 RBIs t lead the Nighthawks offense. Starting pitcher Michael Gulla (Westbury, NY) picked up the win for Newbury going five innings while giving up 5 hits, 5 runs, 3 walks and 5 strikeouts.

Romero was the only Raider with multiple hits, going 2 for 3 and scoring 2 runs. Coates took the loss, pitching two innings while giving up 5 hits and 4 run (3 earned) and striking out 2.

Rivier will host GNAC opponent St. Joseph's College of Maine on Saturday in a double header with the first game slated to start at 3:00 PM. The games will take place at Bishop Guertin High School.