MIDDLESEX COMPLETES 5-1 MYRTLE BEACH TRIP WITH WIN OVER NORTH CENTRAL MISSOURI
Middlesex College completed a 5-1 trip to The Ripken Experience at Myrtle Beach with another one-run win.
The Colts held on to top North Central Missouri 8-7 when Patrick Kannaley (Sophomore/Middlesex, NJ) stranded the tying run on second base in the the seventh to pick up his first save of the season.
Middlesex (11-4) built an 8-2 lead through three innings before North Central Missouri (6-14) chipped away at the Colts lead.
Christian Petrillo (Freshman/North Brunswick, NJ) got the Colts offense started early when he signled leading off the game, advanced to second on an error and stole third.
Petrillo, Giovanni Aresta (Freshman/Old Bridge, NJ) and Zachary Brown (Freshman/Hamilton, NJ) each scored in the first as the Colts opened a 3-0 lead.
The Colts added a run in the second when Braden Ramirez (Freshman/Middlesex, NJ) drove home Christopher Born (Freshman/South Plainfield, NJ) on a ground out.
Born was the central figure in a big third inning for Middlesex as well. The freshman second baseman belted his first collegiate home run, a three-run shot, to extend the Middlesex lead to 8-2.
Born's home run capped the scoring for the day for Middlesex as the Colts had just two singles after the third inning as the Pirates crept back into the game with two runs in the fourth and three in the seventh. With the Pirates rallying and the tying run on base, Kannaley induced a flyout to left and a grounder to third to seal the victory for Middlesex.
Middlesex had seven hits in the game with Born leading the way by going 2-3 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBIs. Petrillo went 3-3 witha run scored and two stolen bases. The speedy centerfielder is 11-13 on stolen bases this year and leads the team with 22 hits. He batted .429 (9-21) in the Colts six-game Myrtle Beach trip.
Middlesex is scheduled to be back in action Friday when they host Ocean County College for a home doubleheader. First pitch of Game 1 is scheduled for 1:00pm.