Baseball rallies back twice but only able to split GNAC twinbill with Norwich

(Nashua, New Hampshire) The Rivier University Baseball used a couple of late rallies as they earned a walk off Game one win and lost the second game in 12 innings against Norwich University in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference double-header this afternoon at Historic Holman Stadium. The Raiders are now 2-22 on the season and are 1-9 in the GNAC while Norwich improves to 6-11 and 4-7 in the conference.

Game One: Rivier University 3, Norwich University 2 (Final)

Trailing 2-0 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Raiders mounted a three run rally as they earned their first conference victory of the season with a 3-2 final in game one.

Freshman George Gouthier (Haverhill, Mass.) was able to dive into home plate ahead of the tag to lift Rivier to a thrilling come from behind win. After sophomore Marc Medeiros (Arlington, Mass.) lifted a sacrifice fly to make it 2-1, sophomore Jeremy Ball (Swanzey, NH) worked a walk to set up a wild finish. With the bases loaded and two out, sophomore Taylor Black (West Springfield, Mass.) hit a hard grounder to third that glanced off the third baseman's glove and into deep short/shallow left. Sophomore Fred O'Brien (South Boston, Mass.) scored the tying run and Gouthier was waved home. The throw was in time but just up the line and Gouthier was able to dive ahead of the tag and give Rivier the win.

Sophomore Jon Chotkowski (Tewksbury, Mass.) earned the win as he tossed a complete game allowing just two runs (one earned) on eight hits and striking out three Cadets. Norwich's Billy Whaley suffered the tough loss as he pitched 6 2/3 innings, striking out two and giving up three runs – all unearned.

Gouthier finished the game going 2-for-3 with a run scored and sophomore David Feole (Scituate, RI) went 1-for-3 as his lone hit started the seventh inning rally. Juniors JJ Montello (Nashua, NH) and David Cusack (Newburyport, Mass.) also collected hits in the first game.

Brian Baker had a day at the plate as the shortstop went 3-for-3 and Sean Gerich went 2-for-3 to lead the Cadets.

Game Two: Norwich University 6, Rivier University 3 (Final/12 innings)

Once again the Raiders found themselves down by two and they responded by scoring single runs in the sixth and seventh innings but eventually ran out of steam as they fell in game two 6-3 after playing five extra innings.

Freshman Drew Neely (Lakeland, FL) pitched well over seven innings as he held Norwich to just two runs (one earned) on seven hits and two strikeouts. Junior Alex Mears (Salem, NH) came out of the pen and suffered the loss after tossing four innings of extra baseball. He departed in the 12th as junior Lucas Palma (Bristol, Conn.) struck out one and allowed one hit as he finished the inning.

Brandon Place and Brian Baker each pitched six innings in the game. Place was removed with no one out in the seventh after allowing the Raiders to have the tying run reach. Baker escaped the jam allowing the tying run to score but earned the win as he held Rivier scoreless.

Rivier will host Eastern Nazarene College on Tuesday night for a non-conference double-header at Historic Holman Stadium. Game one begins at 5:05pm. Norwich will return to action on Tuesday as well as they return to Nashua to play at Daniel Webster College, 3pm start time.