MCLA Baseball Drops Opener up North

Worcester, Mass. – Freshman Michael Mainuli (Glastonbury, Conn.) twirled a complete game three-hitter, propelling host Clark University to a 9-0 win over the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in non-conference baseball action on Tuesday afternoon. 

Mainuli (1-0) was dazzling in picking up his first career win, striking out a career-best 11 while walking just three batters.

The win for the Cougars marks the third consecutive contest in which they have received an excellent pitching performance from their starter. On Saturday, they got a four-hit showing from sophomore Brian Sullivan (Auburn, Mass.) and a 12-strikeout, one earned run outing from reigning NEWMAC Pitcher of the Week, Andrew LeBlanc (Farmington, Conn.).

In today's victory, Mainuli came out firing, striking out five of the first nine batters he faced. While Mainuli was containing the Trailblazer lineup, the Clark offense gave him an early cushion.

The Cougars' put up a run in the first on Sullivan's RBI single in the first and then added an unearned run in the second.

In the third Clark pushed across two more runs when Ian Farrell (Bethany, Conn.) and  Luke Carter (Brunswick, Maine) came up with RBI.

The Cougars put the game away in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Farrell and a two-run homerun from Nick Kellogg (Florence, Mass.). Kellogg's blast to left looked as if it might be caught, but bounced off the glove of MCLA outfielder Cody Weaver (Highland, N.Y.) and caromed over the fence.

Daniel Gaines (Holyoke, Mass.) started the game for the Trailblazers, going 3.2 innings, allowing seven hits and seven runs – only three of which were earned.

Chase Priete (North Adams, Mass.) was MCLA's most effective pitcher after moving to the mound from second base, tossing three innings of no-hit relief. Joe Duncan (Dalton, MA/Wahconah) was 1-2 with a walk for MCLA.

Matthew Bohl (Amherst, Mass.) went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a pair of stolen bases for Clark, while James Cadogan (Ipswich, Mass.) and Carter each had two hits as well.

The Cougars (3-11) will return to the diamond on Thursday with a home contest against Daniel Webster, while the Trailblazers host Norwich tomorrow.