Throgs Neck/Bronx, N.Y.- The Plymouth State University Baseball team set the tone for their upcoming season this past weekend in New York, capturing four straight victories as they defeated the State University of New York Maritime College and the City College of New York. The Panthers defeated both teams twice.
Leading the green and white offensively were seniors Luke Merrill (Pittsburg, N.H.) and Mike Cappiello (Westfield, N.J.) who crushed opposing pitchers with a combined three homeruns along with multiple hits. Cappiello made his presence felt in his first two at-bats of the season, propelling the Panthers to a 6-4 victory in the season opener against SUNY Maritime with a couple of two-run homerun blasts. It was Merrill’s homerun shot in the top of the seventh that led to Plymouth State’s 5-3 win in the evening’s nightcap.
On Sunday, Plymouth State traveled to the Bronx to take on CCNY. The team’s momentum only grew. “Overall we played well as a team this weekend. As expected we have some things that we can work on to improve but we got the job done,” said freshman Jeff Reynolds (Nashua, N.H.). The Panthers dominated their Sunday opponents, winning 6-1 and 17-1 at Randall’s Island Field. PSU showcased their hitting skills at the start of the second game with a twelve-run rally against the home team. “Collectively, we hit the ball extremely well and our pitching was strong. Some people stepped up big when we needed it most so that we could get out of some tough spots and get the W,” said Reynolds. Plymouth State’s pitching didn’t allow more than nine runs throughout the entire weekend. Seniors Joe Hudson (Greenfield, Mass.) and Bobby Chatfield (Sharon, Conn.), as well as juniors Ryan Wakefield (Sanbornton, N.H.), Rew Wilson (Niantic, Conn.) all collected their first wins of the season.
“I think this is probably the best start we’ve ever had,” said Head Coach Dennis McManus. McManus is in his 28th season as head coach for the Panthers. “I was elated (with the wins). No matter how well you play, quite often you come back on the wrong side of the ledger. For us to come back 4-0, I think that’s a great jumpstart,” said McManus. “We came up with some clutch defensive plays that first day, and some clutch hits. It was very balanced.” Plymouth State University Baseball will hope to continue their streak throughout spring break, as they travel to Fort Myers, Florida for a ten-game road trip, as part of the Gene Cusic Classic.