By Allison Goldsmith
I&M Sports Editor
The varsity baseball team cruised to three easy wins this week, including a doubleheader sweep at home Saturday. The Whalers defeated New Testament 7-0 and 11-4 after trouncing New England Christian 17-0 last Wednesday.
With the offense coming to life and the pitching staff well-rested and having success, Nantucket is currently riding a five-game win streak that has boosted their record to 7-3 overall this season.
The Whalers have this week off in preparation for Martha’s Vineyard at home Monday and Sturgis on the road Wednesday.
“We are certainly building confidence going into the toughest part of our schedule for the last few weeks of the season. Having some confidence going into that, as well as having a well-rested pitching staff and putting some hitting together, I think it is definitely a plus,” head coach Art Crowley said.
“I am happy to see (the offense) coming around. (Adam) Spencer and (Erik) Hughes are swinging the bats the best I have seen all year, with authority and taking some good at-bats. Eric Lowell has been on fire and (Michael) Molta is coming around.”
Molta led the Whalers on the mound in game one of the doubleheader against New Testament Saturday. The freshman pitcher tossed all seven innings, allowing only one hit while striking out 16 batters.
“It was a very good performance. It was decent competition and I thought he held his composure well on the mound. He was working his two-seam fastball. His curveball was sometimes there, sometimes not and the change-up, he changed speeds effectively and I think that’s what kept them off-balance,” Crowley said.
Molta also helped himself at the plate with two doubles and an RBI in the sixth inning to secure the win.
While the Knights were struggling to mount any offensive attack, the Whalers spread out seven runs over six innings. Tomas Smaliorius walked and scored on an error in the second. In the third Molta and Eric Lowell strung together back-to-back doubles with Lowell driving home Molta for the 2-0 lead.
Brian Reis had the key two-run single in the fourth inning to score Chris Welch and Jamie Reid to break it open.
“It was just a 2-0 ball game. That was a key hit. He battled in a tight spot with two outs,” Crowley said.
Hughes drove in one run with a single in the fifth and Evan Hourihan drove in Welch with a bunt single in the sixth before Molta capped the scoring with an RBI double.
Anthony Valero got the start in game two and picked up his first win of the season. He pitched the first four innings and allowed only three hits and four runs while striking out four. Lowell came in to pitch two innings and shut down the Knights on one hit and three strikeouts. Smaliorius closed out the game without allowing a run.
The Whalers opened with three runs in the first inning. Evan Hourihan scored on a double steal play, Lowell drove home Molta with a single and Spencer plated Lowell with an RBI double.
The Knights responded with three runs in the top of the second. Nantucket regained the lead in the bottom of the inning, but the Knights again responded to tie the game in the third.
The Whalers were able to manufacture a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth while the Knights’ offense stalled. Nantucket broke it open with four runs in the sixth. Reis doubled and scored on a single from Hourihan to start the inning. Hourihan scored on a single from Lowell and Spencer drove in Molta with another single. The final run came on a sacrifice-bunt squeeze-play by Welch.
The Whalers played only five innings at New England Christian on Wednesday and it was all they needed to take with the easy win. Lowell pitched the first three innings and struck out seven batters without allowing a hit. Welch came on and pitched a hitless inning before Valero closed it out with one inning, allowing New England Christian’s only hit of the game.
Nantucket scored six runs in the first inning, added one in the second and plated six more in the third inning.
Hughes had a solid 3-for-5 day at the plate with three RBI. Lowell was 2-for-4 with three RBI and Spencer was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Molta hit an RBI double and Welch drove in two with a single.
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