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Western New England University

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BSB 3.26.25
4
Amherst AMHERST 6-7
8
Winner Western New Eng. WNE 9-6
Amherst AMHERST
6-7
4
Final
8
Western New Eng. WNE
9-6
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Amherst AMHERST 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 4 11 3
Western New Eng. WNE 0 1 2 4 0 0 1 0 X 8 10 0

W: Slifer, Connor (1-0) L: M. Tabet (1-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Early Offense Sparks Non-Conference Win For WNE Baseball Over Amherst

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (March 26, 2025) – The Western New England baseball team came away with a four-run fourth inning, coming up with clutch two-out hits in Wednesday afternoon's non-conference win over Amherst College, defeating the Mammoths by a final score of 8-4. 

Records:
  • Western New England: 9-6
  • Amherst College: 6-7
How it Happened:

Greg Nivison made his first start of the season on Wednesday afternoon and picked up a ground ball out to begin the game but the next two batters would reach for Amherst College, a double to left center field and an RBI single that quickly gave the visitors a 1-0 lead. Nivison would settle in and come up with a big strikeout with runners on second and third to end the inning. John Bova would put together a double down the left field line in the bottom of the first inning but would not come around to score, seeing Amherst lead 1-0 after the first inning of play. Nivison would get into more trouble in the top of the second after issuing a walk and a single with one out while a sacrifice bunt would put runners at second and third but again the WNE sophomore would get a strikeout to end the inning. Following, Western New England would reward their starter with their first run of the game as Tyler Kornacki would single to left field, advance on a wild pitch, and then score on a Connor Cowern RBI single, evening the score at one after two innings of play. 

The Mammoths would go down early in the top of the third, while the Golden Bears would begin to break the game open in the bottom of the third inning, scoring two more runs and taking their first lead of the game, a 3-1 edge. Ryan Montini and Jack Loftus would collect singles while Leo Paragarino would walk, leaving the bases loaded for Tyler Kornacki, who produced a two-out missile up the middle of the field to score two runs, giving the Golden Bears a 3-1 lead after three innings. Connor Slifer would make his Western New England debut on Wednesday afternoon and pitched a clean 1-2-3 inning in the top of the third while Western New England's bottom of the fourth was anything but clean, adding four runs to the scoreboard to take a commanding 7-1 lead. Andrew Florek began the inning with a single while John Bova produced yet another double, putting runners on second and third with one away. Jack Loftus would be intentionally walked with two outs, a move Amherst would come back to regret, as Trey Young would reach on a fielding error by the Amherst third baseman while Leo Paragarino would clear the bases with a bases-cleaning double to left center field, giving the Golden Bears the six-run lead after four innings of play. All of WNE's runs had come with two outs in their respective innings. 

Slifer would get into some trouble in the top of the fifth but would manage a massive double play to end the inning, leaving two runners aboard and now allowing a hit in his debut. Jack Lewis would take the hill next for WNE, coming into the game in the top of the sixth and would give up two runs as the Mammoths picked up three hits off the WNE righty, getting back within four. Lewis would leave the bases loaded, however, getting a pop out to second base to end the inning. WNE would go down in short order in the bottom of the sixth while Demitri Boulas made quick work of Amherst in the top of the seventh. The Golden Bears would add one run in the bottom of the seventh despite not getting a hit. Connor Cowern would make his way around the bases after receiving a walk, stealing a base, advancing on a throwing error by the Mammoths catcher and then coming home to score on a wild pitch, giving the Golden Bears an 8-3 lead. 
WNE's Jayden Downing would make his collegiate debut on Wednesday in the top of the eighth inning, surrendering just one run on two hits in 0.2 of an inning. Amherst would have two runners on with two out before Alex Slezak would get the final out of the inning, a grounder to second base. Western New England would leave the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth, but it would not matter as Andrew Melone would produce a 15-pitch ninth inning to secure the win for the Golden Bears, an 8-4 win over the Mammoths. 

Inside the Lines:
  • Connor Slifer earned the win for WNE in his debut, going two innings, giving up no hits and no runs while walking two and striking out one. 
  • WNE used seven pitchers including Slifer on the afternoon. The seven pitches gave up 11 hits to Amherst but just four runs, all earned, while striking out a combined four batters. 
  • Leo Paragarino's bases-clearing double would give the Danbury, Connecticut native his ninth, tenth, and eleventh RBIs on the season in just 18 plate appearances. Paragarino has ten of his 11 RBIs in the last three games. 
  • Tyler Kornacki produced two hits in four at-bats, coming away with two RBIs. 
  • John Bova would go 2/3 on the afternoon, both hits were doubles, his team-leading tenth and eleventh doubles of the year. 
  • WNE avenges their defeat from last season to Amherst. Western New England has produced 42 runs in the last three games overall against the Mammoths. 
Up Next on the Schedule:
  • The Golden Bears waste little time getting back into action, heading east to UMass-Boston on Thursday, March 27 at 3:00 PM.
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