WestConn Athletics

Danbury, CT (May 1) — Sophomore second baseman Dan Amarante (Cheshire, CT) picked a good time to hit his first collegiate home run. With the Colonials down 6-3 in the sixth inning, Amarante, who admitted after the game that he could not remember ever clearing a fence for a home run, pounded a grand slam home run just inside the left field fair pole and helped lift the Western Connecticut State University baseball team to an 8-6 victory in the nightcap of its doubleheader against Lehman College. It captured the opener at Westside Field, 9-3 and are now 17-21 on the season.

In the opener, Matt Gardiner (Terryville, CT) had an RBI double in the bottom of the first inning to get the scoring started. Dan Baccaro (Berlin, CT) drove a run across with a sacrifice fly and Ryan Koschmieder (Groton, CT) drove Gardiner in with a single up the middle and the Colonials led 3-0 after one inning.

Sam McNeil (Gales Ferry) belted his fourth home run of the season, this one just inside the left-field fair pole, in the second inning. One batter later, Gardiner deposited his sixth home run of the season, deep over the wall in left center field. McNeil finished the twinbill by going 5-for-8 with five runs scored.

Lehman got on the scoreboard in the fourth when Gilbert Garcia scored an unearned run on an infield ground out by Amadoernesto Guzman.

Dan Baccaro added a two-RBI single in the fourth and the Colonials built their lead to, 7-1. In the sixth, he continued his hot bat by wrapping his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot, over the fence in left field. In the opener, Dan Baccaro went 2-for-3 with five RBI and a run scored.

Billy Armstrong (Moodus, CT) went six innings and collected the win to improve to 4-3 on the season. He allowed the one unearned run on six hits while striking out six and walking three. Bryan Foglestrom (Newtown, CT) pitched the seventh inning for WestConn. He allowed two harmless runs in the final frame.

Emmanuel Vera started the game for the Lightning but left the game before the start of the fourth inning with an injury. In three innings, he allowed five runs on seven hits and struck out three.

In the nightcap, the Lightning got on the scoreboard in the top of the first when Luis Alicea and Garcia hit back-to-back one-out doubles.

The Colonials drew even, in the bottom half of the inning, when Koschmieder had a run scoring single to plate Gardiner. Three innings later, they took a short-lived 2-1 lead on an RBI single from John DiGiovanni (Waterbury, CT).

Lehman took the lead in the top fifth inning on back-to-back run-scoring singles by Alicea and Garcia.

Gardiner evened the game at 3-3 with his second home run on the night and his team-leading seventh of the season, in the bottom of the fifth.

Jeff Hancock (Oakdale, CT) went five strong innings for the Colonials but did not factor in the decision. He allowed three runs on five hits while striking out five and walking two.

Josh Murray (Colchester, CT) came on in relief of Hancock. After striking out the first two batters, looking, Murray loaded the bases on an infield single and back-to-back walks to the eight and nine hitters. Joe Postemsky (Windham, CT) was summoned to the hill. He initially did not fare much better, walking Jhonny Reyes to give the Lightning a 4-3 advantage. Alicea then laced a two-run single through the left side, to give the visitors a 6-3 lead.

Postemsky battled back and earned the victory with a scoreless seventh and is now 2-1 on the year.

Adam Kolinoski, 2-3, started the nightcap for Lehman and was cruising along until the sixth when, after one out he loaded the bases and yielded the grand slam home run to Amarante.

The Colonials close out the regular season with a doubleheader at University of Southern Maine on Saturday. First pitch is at 12 noon.

GAME NOTES: In the second game, Ryan Dilts (North Plainfield, NJ) threw one pitch to start the game then was replaced by Jeff Hancock. Dilts, along with Gardiner, Hancock and Matt Perper, all seniors, were making their final appearance at Westside Field. Dilts has been hampered by injuries of late.

Western Connecticut 9, Lehman 3 (Game 1)


Lehman.............. 000 100 2 -  3  8  2      (16-12)
Western Connecticut. 320 202 X -  9 12  2      (16-21)


Pitchers: Lehman - Emmanuel Vera; Jose Garrido(4). 
Western Connecticut - Bill Armstrong; Bryan Fogelstrom(7).  
Win-Bill Armstrong(4-3)  Loss-Emmanuel Vera(6-3) 
HR WC - Sam McNeil (4); Matt Gardiner (6); Dan Baccaro (4).


Western Connecticut 8, Lehman 6 (Game 2)


Lehman.............. 100 023 0 -  6  8  4      (16-13)
Western Connecticut. 100 115 X -  8 10  1      (17-21)


Pitchers: Lehman - Adam Kolinoski. 
Western Connecticut - Ryan Dilts; Jeff Hancock(1); 
Josh Murray(6); Joe Postemsky(6). Win-Joe Postemsky(2-1)  
Loss-Adam Kolinoski(2-3) 
HR WC - Matt Gardiner (7); Dan Amarante (1).

Dan Amarante Slams Lehman in the Nightcap of a WestConn Sweep