Trailblazers doomed by Clark's seventh inning rally

Courtesy of Clark University Sports Information

Worcester, Mass. – David Eschen (New York, N.Y.) drove in a career-high four runs and host Clark University erupted for six runs in the bottom of the seventh to rally for a thrilling 9-5 win over MCLA in non-league baseball action on Friday afternoon at Granger Field.

The Cougars, who were held to just one hit until the uprising in the seventh, improved to 3-8 on the season, while the Trailblazers have now dropped six straight games to slip to 2-7.

Clark actually jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first without getting a hit. Nick O'Brien (Potomac, Md.) led off the game by reaching first after being hit by a pitch and then moved to second when Dan Lima (Manchester, Conn.) walked. O'Brien and Lima then pulled off a double steal and O'Brien raced home on an Eschen groundout.

The game stayed that way until the top of the fifth as Clark starter Casey Marvell (Niskayuna, N.Y.) and MCLA pitchers Mike Mancivalano (Pittsfield, Mass.) and Robert Jutras (Readsboro, Vt.) held both teams without a hit.

Things started to unravel for Marvell and the Cougars when Cody Weaver (Highland, N.Y.) led off the frame with a walk and then scored on an Alon Willing (Altamont, N.Y.) single to center. An infield hit by Ryan Oiumet (Clarksburg, Mass.) drove in another run and then the Trailblazers took a 3-1 lead when Jared Gersch (Highland, N.Y.) smacked an RBI single.

Marvell lasted one batter into the sixth and reliever Joseph Gouveia (Nashua, N.H.) came on to get two outs but yielded a two-run blast to Tyler Benoit (North Adams, Mass.), making the score 5-1.

Clark scratched across a run in the sixth with two outs. It actually looked to be the third out of the inning when Lima swing and missed on strike three. Willing was forced to throw Lima out at first but Benoit was unable to corral the throw and Lima was ruled safe. He then moved to third on a failed pickoff attempt and came around to score on an Eschen single to center.

David Corn (Juno Beach, Fla.), who came on to finish the sixth, worked out of a bases loaded situation in the seventh to keep the score at 5-2.

Clark then sent 12 batters to the plate in the bottom of the inning highlighted by a Dennis Glynn (Jamaica Plain, Mass.) RBI double and Eschen's two-run single.

The Cougars pushed across another run in the eighth when Glynn scooted home on a misplay at third base.

Peter Lawrence (Braintree, Mass.) came on in the ninth and got a game-ending double play to seal the win for the Scarlet and White.

Gersch, who entered as a pinch hitter, went 3-for-3 for the Trailblazers while Willing had two hits and an RBI.

Eschen was 2-for-4 for Clark, who also got two runs apiece from Glynn and Lima. The Cougar bullpen was exceptionally strong, tossing four innings and allowing just one earned run.

MCLA has had their four games this weekend postponed and won't play again until Wednesday when they are scheduled to face Trinity College.