Thornell's Two-Run Blast Lifts Baseball to 4-2 Win over Manchester

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- Riley Thornell (Wareham, Mass.) belted a two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning to lift the Bridgewater State University baseball team to a 4-2 victory over Manchester University on Sunday afternoon at The Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Nathan Labonte (Raynham, Mass.) picked up the win in relief of starter Trey Yesu (Monson, Mass.). Labonte tossed two scoreless and hitless innings retiring six of the seven batters he faced with one strikeout.

Yesu hurled seven solid innings giving up just two runs (one earned) on five hits with seven strikeouts.

Rocco Hanes suffered the loss on the mound for Manchester despite pitching into the ninth inning. Hanes (1-1) allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits with three walks and 11 strikeouts.

The Bears opened the scoring with an unearned run in the top of the first inning. Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) walked and advanced to second three batters later on a base hit by Steven Simon (Hanover, Mass.). Joe Frechette (Plymouth, Mass.) then reached on an error by the shortstop allowing Emerson to come around with the first run of the game.

Bridgewater extended the lead to 2-0 in the top of the fifth inning. With one out, Emerson reached on an infield single, stole second an scored on an RBI single by Cam James (Ipswich, Mass.).

Manchester answered with a run in the home half of the fifth on an RBI single by Beau Kaley.

The Spartans knotted the game with an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth. Mitchell Baker led of the frame with a base hit, moved to second on an errant pick off attempt, to third on ground out and scored on an RBI ground out.

The game remained knotted at 2-2 until the top of the ninth inning. With one out, Joshua Selander (Granby, Conn.) was hit by a pitch and replaced on the base paths by Ryan Flaherty (Duxbury, Mass.). That brought up Thornell who smashed a dramatic home run, the first of his collegiate career, over the right field fence to give the Bears a 4-2 lead.

Labonte worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth to secure the victory.

Thornell was the only Bear with multiple hits as he went 2-for-4. Mathew Pigeon (Canton, Mass.) reached safely three times in four plate appearances with three walks. Emerson singled, walked and scored two runs in five trips to the plate.