Bennington, VT – The SUNY Canton baseball team was able to salvage a split as Zach Lawrence (West Palm Beach, FL) came on in relief to throw four innings of shutout ball in game two against Southern Vermont College on Tuesday. The Roos won the nightcap 5-2 after dropping the opener 3-0.

Game 1

The Roos looked to have something going in the top of the third as Greg Dobies (Schenectady, NY) led off with a single to right center. Bobby Clemente (Carolina, Puerto Rico) laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Dobies to second and he later advanced to third on a groundout by Christian Nazario-Cruz (Naguabo, Puerto Rico). After a Wilson Matos (Brooklyn, NY) walk the inning would end on a fielder's choice.

SUNY Canton got out of a jam in the bottom of the inning as the Mountaineers moved a base runner to third with less than two outs. However, Travis Bigelow (Ottawa, ON) came up big striking out two batters, one swinging and the other looking, to end the frame.

Southern Vermont would plate all of the contest's runs in the bottom of the fifth. The Mountaineers led off the inning reaching on an error and followed with a single. A sacrifice bunt moved a pair of runners into scoring position. SVC plated two on a double to left center and followed with a single up the middle to make it 3-0 after five.

SUNY Canton brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh with runners on first and second but was unable to complete the comeback. Bigelow did not give up a single earned run striking out six batters in six innings of action on the mound.

Game 2

The visitors got on the board first in the nightcap as Matos brought home Nazario-Cruz on a sacrifice fly to right field in the opening inning. The Mountaineers took the lead with two runs in the third after a pair of RBI singles to right center and through the right side of the infield.

Trailing by one after three inning Head Coach Joe Carbone went to the bullpen in the fourth as Lawrence got the nod. He threw four innings of two hit ball striking out five batters. The sophomore received enough run support as the Roos exploded for four runs in the sixth.

Seth Douglas (Reedsburg, WI) drew a leadoff walk and Jeremy Baez (Bronx, NY) also advanced on a free pass. With one down the runners advanced a base each on a wild pitch. Jesse Barton (Belle Glade, FL) singled through the left side to plate Douglas. Chris Roenbeck (Plattsburgh, NY) loaded the bases after being hit by a pitch and Dobies came on to pinch-hit.

Dobies laced a single down the left field line to bring home Baez and Barton. With two down Matos singled through the left side. The Roos added their fourth tally of the inning when Brandon Welch (Constable, NY) was hit by a pitch to bring Matt Hall (Palmyra, NY) across.

That would be all Lawrence would need on the mound retiring six of the final batters he faced en route to his first win of the season. Matos, Barton and Nicolas Demarais all produced multi-hit games for the Roos. Dobies drove in two runs, while Matos, Welch and Barton each finished with an RBI.