CONCORD, N.H. – NHTI Baseball held a two-run lead through four innings, 2-0 after three and 4-2 after four, before a 10-run fifth inning lifted Great Bay Community College past the Lynx, 12-4, Wednesday afternoon at the NHTI Baseball Field.
The loss moves NHTI to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in Yankee Small College Conference play. Great Bay improves to 1-4 overall and 1-1 in conference play.
NHTI struck first with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Caden Jordan (Hooksett, N.H.) opened the frame with a single before Owen Stewart (Pembroke, N.H.) followed with a base hit. Jordan stole third and scored on a Great Bay throwing error before Stewart later stole home to give the Lynx an early 2-0 advantage.
TJ Charbono (Franklin, N.H.) kept the Herons off the board through the first three innings, striking out five over that stretch. Great Bay broke through with two runs in the fourth to even the game at 2-2.
The Lynx answered immediately in the bottom half. Dillon Depietro (Amherst, N.H.) was hit by a pitch before Camden Morrill (Raymond, N.H.) doubled to left to bring him home and put NHTI back in front. Jordan followed with an RBI single to center, scoring Morrill and extending the lead to 4-2.
Great Bay took control in the fifth, scoring 10 runs to turn NHTI's 4-2 advantage into a 12-4 deficit. The Herons recorded six hits in the inning and took advantage of two NHTI errors, three walks, a hit batter, a wild pitch and a passed ball.
NHTI's pitching settled in from there behind Isaac Clough (Antrim, N.H.), who entered to begin the sixth and shut down the Great Bay offense over the final four innings. Clough threw four hitless, scoreless innings, walked none and struck out five while facing 13 batters.
Clough has now thrown 8.2 innings across two appearances this fall without allowing an earned run, recording 10 strikeouts while allowing five hits. His 0.00 ERA is tied atop the YSCC leaderboard, and his 8.2 innings are the most among the four conference pitchers currently carrying a 0.00 ERA.
Jordan led the Lynx offensively with a 4-for-5 performance, driving in a run, scoring once and stealing three bases. Daniel Sherkanowski (Bristol, N.H.) went 2-for-2 with a stolen base, while Morrill finished with NHTI's lone extra-base hit and an RBI. Stewart, Harrison Reeder (Exeter, N.H.) and Sean Kilcoyne (North Andover, Mass.) also recorded hits as NHTI finished with 10 as a team.
Jordan's performance raised his season average to .417, while Sherkanowski leads the Lynx with a .500 average through four games. Charbono, who allowed five runs on six hits across 4.1 innings Wednesday, struck out six to bring his team-leading season total to 18 through 13.1 innings.
UP NEXT
Wednesday's contest began a three-game homestand for the Lynx following several changes to the fall schedule.
NHTI returns to the field Saturday, Oct. 3, when it hosts Masters Academy for a scrimmage as part of Homecoming Weekend. First pitch is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. in Concord.
The Lynx return to YSCC action Sunday, Oct. 4, to cap off Homecoming Weekend, hosting the University of Maine at Augusta at 2 p.m. The matchup was originally scheduled for Sept. 27 before being postponed.
NHTI's Sept. 17 scrimmage against Bridgton Academy has also been moved to Oct. 15, while its Sept. 26 scrimmage doubleheader against Massasoit Community College has been rescheduled for Oct. 17.
For the most up-to-date schedule, click here.
Saturday's Homecoming Weekend scrimmage against Masters Academy and Sunday's YSCC matchup with UMaine-Augusta can be watched live at YSCCSportsNetwork.com.
