PSU Baseball Drops Rivier, 9-4

PLYMOUTH – On Thursday, April 14 the Plymouth State University Panthers baseball team was victorious over the Rivier Raiders with a final score of 9-4 at Panther Park. The Panthers entered this non-conference game with a 4-15 record overall on the season, while the Raiders checked in at 2-5 for the season. The only runs for the first four innings were scored by Plymouth in the bottom of the first inning. With two runners on and two out, a deep fly to right field was dropped by the right fielder for Rivier, which sent both base-runners home to take an early lead of 2-0. However, in the visiting half of the fifth inning, Rivier answered back with a double by Bobby Gibbons (sophomore) with a runner on, and freshman Kevin Moyer followed with a single to drive both runners in to tie the game at a pair a piece, 2-2. Both starting pitchers exited after the fifth inning. Plymouth’s Chip Hale (freshman), let up two earned runs on five hits, two walks, and fanned two batters in his five inning performance. The Raiders took the lead in the top half of the sixth inning after Roger LaRochelle hit a run scoring double and came around to score on a single by Moyer to double the score at 4-2. From that point on it was the Panthers and nothing but the Panthers. A sixth inning rally was started by Plymouth first-basemen Vinny Smith (senior) on a single. Smith would eventually finish the game with a 3-3 performance, and reach base in all five plate appearances including a walk and a hit by pitch. Smith’s hit was eventually followed by a Derek Guimond (senior) two run single, and a two run single by junior C.J. Rousseau. Plymouth’s Brandon Hodge (freshman) capped the rally by driving in the fifth run of the inning on a suicide squeeze play. Plymouth finished their big sixth inning with a 7-4 advantage. Plymouth scored solo runs in each of the seventh and eighth innings to cap off a lead and eventual final score of 9-4. Panther reliever Steve Wheeler (freshman) finished out the last three and two thirds innings with a solid performance. Wheeler allowed no runs, no walks, and four hits while punching out three to earn himself the victory. Other notables included Guimond with a 2-5 performance with two runs scored, a stolen base and an RBI, and Rousseau with a 2-5 game with two driven in. The win for Plymouth improved their record to 5-15 overall, and marked the end of a five game losing streak, while Rivier dropped to 2-6 on the season. PSU will play their next home game in a Little East Conference doubleheader on Saturday, April 23 against Western Connecticut starting at 12 pm.