The Knights faced Eastern Connecticut Sate JV in the first game of the doubleheader on April 18, at Mansfield Center, Conn. In the first game of the doubleheader the NECC Knights defeated Eastern Connecticut JV 19 to 7 final in the sixth 6th inning in Mansfield Connecticut.
The last time the Knights faced this same team the Knights won the doubleheader during the home opener last month in March.
The Knights arrived at the field around 3 p.m. The Knights’ batters went quickly in the batting cage and started doing their normal pregame routine before the game.
Richard Matos de la Cruz of Boston went 3 for 4 with 4 RBI. I asked him about the double that he hit if he was trying to hit it out.
“Nah I was trying to stay in right field stay simple as much as possible,” he said.
The Knights exploded with 12 runs in the fourth inning and 16 hitters came into the plate.
The Knights had 17 hits in the whole game. They also committed 3 errors during the game. Alex Sweeney of Raymond N.H. pitched 3 innings, allowed 5 hits, 4 runs, earned 3 walks and 4 strikeouts as Sweeney was the winning pitcher. The Knights did not score in the second and in the sixth inning. Eastern Connecticut JV scored two in the first inning, one in the third inning and they also scored four runs in the fourth inning.
Thomas Cattaneo of Guilford, Conn., pitched the final two innings of the game, just allowing three runs, no earned and he also struck out two batters. Combined Sweeney and Cattaneo Knights struckout six batters. The Knights defeated this same team back in the home opener.
I asked Mejia if he believes Eastern Connecticut JV would change his game plan heading into the April 18 contest “ They always do a mixed, it’s listed as a JV team, what they do is some of the guys that aren’t getting any varsity inning sometimes they let them come down they allowed by rule…” Mejia said.
On game two of the double header the Knights defeated Eastern Connecticut JV 4 to 1 in five innings. The Knights scored 2 in the second and 2 more in the third after trailing 1-0 heading into the second inning.
Joseph Settle of Melbourne, Fla., went 1 for 2 and scored 2 Knights run. Dallas Vaughan of Haverhill was on the mound for the Knights as he struckout five in just three inning of work. I asked Mejia why the game ended in the fifth inning and not the seventh since the game wasn’t a knockout “they trainer had to leave they worried about getting the field rain and they got a couple of conference game going up so they conceded a victory,” Mejia said.
