Nolan Shines in Trailblazers 3-2 Victory

Courtesy of Mass. Maritime Sports Information

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. --  Freshman Liam Nolan (Pittsfield, Mass.) tossed a complete-game four-hitter and struck out eight to lead MCLA to a 3-2 non-league college baseball victory over Massachusetts Maritime Sunday afternoon at Commodore Hendy Field.

Senior Mike Sullivan (Wareham, Mass.) staked the visiting Trailblazers (11-16) to a 1-0 first inning lead with an RBI single, and MCLA extended that margin to 2-0 in the second on a run-scoring single off the bat of seniorMike Mancivalano (Pittsfield, Mass.).  Senior Alon Willing (Altamont, N.Y.) provided the visitors with what would prove to be the winning run with a fourth inning sacrifice fly, as the host Buccaneers (16-10) pulled to within two in the bottom of the eighth when junior Everett Walsh (Marstons Mills, Mass.) and freshman William Keane (Braintree, Mass.) scored on a respective wild pitch and fielder's choice.  Massachusetts Maritime had the tying run on base in the ninth, but Nolan recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat as well as the hosts' seven game-winning streak.

Mancivalano collected three of MCLA's six hits in the victory, as Nolan threw 78 of his 110 pitches for strikes in allowing a pair of unearned runs to improve to 2-3 on the season.  Keane rapped out a pair of hits, including a double, as part of Massachusetts Maritime's four-hit attack, as senior Tyler Smith (Bellingham, Mass.) allowed three hits and a pair of runs over the first 1 2/3 innings of action to fall to 0-2 on the spring.

Prior to the contest, longtime Buccaneer Head Coach Bob Corradi was honored in a pre-game ceremony for his 43 year career at the Academy, as he will retire at the conclusion of this season.  Corradi's uniform number 12 was officially retired by the school, and he was also recognized in with a special citation from the Massachusetts State Senate.  Corradi led his squad to their first Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference championship in 33 years this spring with a 10-4 league mark.

Massachusetts Maritime hosts Coast Guard in a non-league outing on Tuesday afternoon at Commodore Hendy Field beginning at 3:30 p.m., while MCLA travels to Springfield, Mass. on Wednesday afternoon to take on Springfield in a non-league contest that also begins at 3:30 p.m.