The Knights closed out the year with four straight road wins over NHTI, Massasoit Community College and Quinsigamond Community College. Over the four games, the Knights outscored their opponents 40-12, which has been the case for much of the season.
On April 29, the Knights traveled to Concord, N.H. to face off against NHTI. In a shortened game (five innings), NECC blasted NHTI, 16-4. After four innings, the scored was still close (5-3 Knights), but an 11-run top of the fifth changed everything.
Jerry Hernandez and Ryan Decker combined for a six-hit outing on the mound for the Knights.
Colby Maiola was 1-for-3 on the day with an RBI and three runs scored. Michael Crisostomo belted his first home run of the year, a grand slam, and finished with four RBIs. Jacob Rayner (3-for-4) and Ellidio Reyes (1-for-4) each had two RBIs in the win. Rayner also hit two doubles. Ryley Warnock went 3-for-4 with a triple and two runs scored.
The Knights went right back to work the next day, traveling to play at Massasoit Community College. While NECC didn’t have as big of a day on offense, they still managed six runs. They also brought Ryan McAuliffe out on the mound, and he delivered.
McAuliffe went seven strong innings, giving up just two hits and no runs while striking out five. Gianni Esposito came in to finish the game off, going two innings. He gave up one run on one hit and struck out three.
Third baseman Colby Ingraham was the big man on offense in this one, going 3-for-5 with four RBIs on the day. Warnock and Crisostomo each recorded two hits, while Keith Linnane
went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
The Knights closed out the season with a trip to play a doubleheader on the road against Quinsigamond Community College. The Knights took both games, winning the first game 6-2 and the second game 12-5.
Zarif Pajazetovic got the win in the first game, going four innings of five-hit, one-run baseball with three strikeouts. Robert Barry came in relief and pitched three innings. He gave up one run on two hits while striking out three.
Warnock had another big day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. MacDaniel Singleton recorded two hits and an RBI. Reyes, Rayner, Cole Josselyn and Nicholas Turco each recorded an RBI in the win.
The second game was a bit closer despite the 12-5 score. After five innings, the score was tied 5-5. Then the Knights had one of their patented big innings, scoring seven times in the eighth inning to run away with the game.
Anthony Dally started the game, giving up five runs on seven hits in five innings of work. Esposito came in and pitched 1.1 innings of shutout ball, and then Warnock stepped in to finish it off. He ended up going 1.2 innings and giving up no runs and no hits to collect the win.
Maiola led the team with three hits on the day, while four players (Warnock, Ingraham, Reyes and Singleton) each recorded two hits. Reyes and Maiola each had two RBIs, while Reyes, Ingraham and Singleton each had one. Linnane also drove in two runs in the win.
The Knights have finished the regular season with a 25-2 record. They will resume play in the
Region XXI playoffs next week.
The Knights’ baseball team went down to Florida for spring break to get an early start to their season, and they made the most of it. NECC went 9-2 during the trip behind some great pitching and some even better hitting. The Knights played five doubleheaders, with one scrimmage against a junior varsity squad early in the year.
In their first 11 games of 2015, the Knights are hitting .353 and have scored an impressive 89 runs. On the defensive side, pitchers Ryan McAuliffe and Zarif Pajazetovic each notched two wins.
The Knights opened the season with a solid 5-3 win over Itasca Community College of Grand Rapids, Minn. in the first game of a doubleheader. NECC knocked eight base hits and mustered a four-run fifth inning to seal the win. Several players recorded multiple hits, including shortstop Ryley Warnock, designated hitter Ellido Reyes and first baseman Jacob Rayner. Second baseman McDaniel Singleton knocked a huge two-run double in the win.
Ryan McAuliffe notched his first win of the season with a three-run complete game. He gave up three hits, two walks and struck out five batters in his seven innings of work.
The Knights came right back and swept the doubleheader with a convincing 11-4 win. Singleton had two hits, stole two bases and scored three runs. Designated hitter Michael Crisostomo knocked in three runs and scored two more. Third baseman Cole Josselyn also stole two bases and recorded two RBI. NECC hit .400 as a team in the second game.
Pajazetovic recorded the win for the Knights. He pitched four and two-thirds innings, gave up four hits, four runs (only one of them earned) and struck out three.
The Knights’ next game was against the JV squad of Utica (N.Y.). As expected, NECC ran right through them, winning 14-7. Outfielder Harrison Smoske led the way with a three for five performance that included a triple, a stolen base and three RBIs. Crisostomo stole two more bases and knocked in two more runs. Singleton also had two RBIs and went three for four.
Jerry Hernandez went just three innings and gave up four runs on four hits. He also walked four and struck out four. Tyler Favaloro came in and got the win after going two and two-thirds innings of one-hit, shutout baseball.
The Knights’ next opponent was Vermilion Community College of Ely, Minn. NECC made easy work of them, outscoring them 20-3 over the two games. Smoske and Colby Maiola each drove in three runs over the two games. Maiola also stole three bases, while Smoske stole four.
Robert Barry got the win in the first game. He went six innings and gave up only one run on three hits while striking out seven. Gianni Esposito took the second game and gave up one run on seven hits with seven strikeouts in four innings of work.
The only two losses of the season came in the next doubleheader. The Knights faced off with Sussex County Community College of Newton, N.J., and it wasn’t pretty. The Knights lost the first game 17-5, then came back with a slightly more acceptable (but still unfortunate) 13-11 loss. Warnock and Reyes each recorded four RBIs over the two games.
Hernandez and Ryan Decker were the two pitchers who got beat up in the first game. Hernandez gave up seven runs in just over two innings, while Decker gave up eight runs in just over one. It was Favaloro who got roughed up in the second game, giving up 10 runs in two and one-third innings.
The Knights bounced back in their next series against Muscatine Community College of Muscatine, Iowa. NECC took both games, winning 5-4 in the first game and 3-2 in the second. Smoske, Singleton and Colby Ingraham each recorded two hits in the first win. Rayner had an RBI in each of the games, while Maiola stole a base in each game.
Pajazetovic threw a complete game in the first matchup, giving up four runs on eight hits in seven innings. McAuliffe came out and threw another complete game in the second outing, giving up two runs on three hits while striking out eight in seven innings.
The final doubleheader of the Florida trip came on Friday, March 20. In the first game, the Knights beat Burlington County College of Pemberton, N.J. 3-2. In the second game, NECC defeated Schenectady County Community College of Schenectady, N.Y. by a score of 15-4. Ingraham and Josselyn were the two run-producers in the first game, each driving in one run. Meanwhile, it was Reyes, Singleton and Rayner who led the way in the second game. Reyes went four for five with four RBIs and three runs scored. Singleton went three for five with three RBIs and two runs scored. Rayner went three for three with two RBIs and one run scored.
Esposito got the win in the first game after coming in in relief of Anthony Dally and giving up no runs on no hits over three innings. In the second game, Barry pitched three innings and gave up three runs on six hits to earn the victory.
The Knights’ first game back up north is a road game against Community College of Rhode Island today at 3:30 p.m. The Knights will then continue their way up the coast and play their first home game on Saturday, March 28 at 11 a.m. The game will be played at the Haverhill Stadium.
With the spring sports season ready to get underway within the next two weeks, NECC is trying to find a way to cope with all the snow that still blankets all the playing fields. While the baseball team has their yearly trip to Florida for the start of their season, they will still return to a snow-covered diamond. The softball and track team face the same dilemma.
Athletic Director Sue MacAvoy has been looking for places to play in the meantime.
“We’ve been talking to some places around here with turf fields, like Haverhill Stadium,” she said. “Baseball and softball have been practicing there a bit, with track running around the perimeter.”
But Haverhill Stadium has one of the very few turf fields in the area, making it hard to find time to get out there.
“Every school around wants to practice and play out there,” MacAvoy said. “It’s just hard to find times that work for everybody.”
MacAvoy estimates that the fields on the Haverhill campus won’t be ready until at least mid-April, especially with the snowfall this past weekend. In the meantime, the Knights’ baseball team has one game scheduled at Haverhill Stadium, against Bunker Hill Community College on Saturday, March 28.
The weather has certainly played a part in the limited numbers for the track program so far, making it hard to new head coach Beau Couture to get a feel for his team.
The softball team has been throwing the ball around in the gym on campus for the most part. They’ve been practicing since about January, and have been outside at Haverhill Stadium four times. The girls are just itching to get out on the field, and they’ve ramped up their practices to five days a week. The Knights are scheduled to begin their season on Saturday, March 28 against NHTI. The game is scheduled to be played on the Haverhill campus, but there is a possibility that it will be moved to NHTI’s home field in Concord.
This will be the first season that softball will be a full varsity sport at NECC.
So while the snow plows try to move some of the snow off the track to help get the weight off it, MacAvoy will continue to look for ways to get her teams out onto the field for the spring sports season.
On Sunday, October 19, players from past and present NECC Knights baseball teams gathered on the Haverhill campus for the second annual Alumni Day. In all, about 17 baseball alums from several different Knights’ teams and their families came to the festivities which included a cookout, a home run derby and an alumni baseball game.
Among the players who came to the game were Francisco Baez (’03), a former All-Star and a member of the first state championship team, effectively “starting the winning tradition here”, as Athletic Director Sue MacAvoy puts it.
Also present were members of the 2005 team, as well as more recent teams, like 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Representing the 2012 team were Pat Parker, a former All-American who went on to play two years for the Umass Lowell RiverHawks, and Keegan Pafford, another All-American who won a Rawlings’ Gold Glove award for his outstanding play in centerfield.
One member of the 2013 team who was present was Dan Bonito, who took home the prize in the home run derby with 3 homers over the right field fence.
However, the real star of the afternoon was former Knight Manny Cabral (’13). After graduating from NECC last year, Cabral decided that he wanted to make a difference. He did this by donating some of his bone marrow to a person who needed it, a person whom he didn’t even know.
Sue MacAvoy was truly moved by his selflessness, and decided that she was going to nominate him for an Outstanding Alumni Award to recognize his community service. Cabral received the award at graduation last year.
“To think that an All-Star player with a bright future would just put athletics aside like that and help another person, I don’t even have any words to describe it,” said MacAvoy.
Fast forward to the weekend of October 19, and Cabral is about to meet the woman who received his bone marrow. He decided to bring Rebecca Dolan, 32, of Columbus, Ohio, to the Alumni Day festivities.
Dolan received Cabral’s bone marrow in January of 2013, and credits Manny with saving her life. She has since returned to her job at the Ohio State University, and after some emails back and forth, the two agreed to meet on October 17. Dolan and her immediate family flew into Boston on the evening of the 17, and met Cabral at his aunt’s house. Together they sat and talked, and Dolan was finally able to thank her savior face to face.
The alumni played a full seven-inning game that lasted about two hours. Former Knights’ coach Chris Shanahan, who was with the Knights in their 2012 World Series run, coached the alumni team.
In the fifth inning, there was a ceremony on the field where Cabral received his Knights team jersey, and Rebecca was given some NECC baseball gear. Dolan also gave Cabral several gifts, including a book full of thank you letters from her friends and family.
After the game, MacAvoy and Cabral’s coach, Jeff Mejia, spoke about Cabral’s service and his selflessness.
“We talked about how we wanted our other athletes to grow and have a positive impact on other people’s lives,” said MacAvoy.
After the home run derby and baseball game were over, players and their families gathered for a barbeque.
“Everyone had a great time, current and former players sat together and shared stories,” said Sue MacAvoy.
The alumni who gathered for the festivities that afternoon spanned from the 2003 and 2005 teams all the way to the 2012, 2013 and 2014 World Series teams. The day was filled with great fun and fond memories being shared by all. Next fall, the alums will gather on the Haverhill campus again for another great Alumni Day.
Have you ever thought of joining a sports team here at Northern Essex? Think you wouldn’t have time to juggle classes, work and a sport? Wrong! The students on the NECC baseball team beg to differ.
Baseball is an all American sport. Here’s some of the NECC baseball players giving their opinion on college sports:
Ryan Mcauliffe:
#19
Playing baseball since the age of 5
2 year pitcher at NECC
“Gets you in the right direction for college , it has a nice set schedule but is strict.”
Harrison Smoske:
#6
Playing baseball since the age of 1
1 year center at NECC
“Gets you involved , it’s somewhat strict although sometimes it is tough with work.”
Jake Rogers:
#16
Playing baseball since the age of 1
3 year 1st basemen at NECC
“Helps with school, and you got to keep your grades up because its strict.”
Zarif Pajazetovic
# 28
Playing baseball since the age of 7
2 year pitcher at NECC
“It gives you something to do through the semester.”
Ryley Wannock
#5
Playing baseball since the age of 3
2 year shortstop at NECC
“You have to keep your grades up and be responsible.”
Mac Singleton
#8
Playing baseball since the age of 3
2 year 2nd basemen at NECC
“You get a great experience being on the team.”
Coach Jeff Mejia, who has been coaching the team for 3 years now, said the advantage of students playing in a college atmosphere rather than in high school is that “many students tend to be more focused in the classroom when playing a college sport, as their time is limited, so they tend to get their assignments and studying done sooner than later.”
NECC is a great segue for the players to move on to four-year schools.
A lot of the players mentioned how it can be strict being on a college team.
“We as an athletic department work very well with the registration and advising center to help all our athletes excel in and out of the classroom,” said Mejia.
The team is alike a family. The way the coaches and the players interact with each other really shows their love for the game.
NECC’s baseball team did incredibly well last season. Courtesy of NECC Newsroom
The 2014-2015 sports year is ready to get underway in a couple of weeks at Northern Essex, and there is a lot of excitement surrounding the Knights this year.
After great years by all of the Knights’ teams, including the men’s basketball (runner-up in the state tournament) and men’s baseball (6th place finish at the NJCAA World Series and two All-American honorees), the excitement around campus is greater than ever.
This fall, baseball and softball will have a small season of practices and scrimmages to get prepared for the spring season. In addition, women’s volleyball begins their season September 17 at Bunker Hill Community College, with the men’s and women’s basketball seasons following at the beginning of November.
On August 19, 49 potential student athletes met with coaches and athletic director Sue MacAvoy for an orientation to the sports year.
According to MacAvoy, topics covered in the meeting included eligibility, commitment, time management, and resources at NECC.
To celebrate the opening of the sports year, the Observer is bringing readers a preview of each team, as well as information on the coaches and results from last season.
Women’s Volleyball
There is plenty of excitement surrounding the volleyball team this year with many students interested in becoming Knights.
The season is coming up quickly, with practice starting on Wednesday, September 3 and the first game two weeks later, a September 17 conference battle at Bunker Hill Community College.
The Knights’ first home game comes September 24, another conference matchup against Holyoke Community College.
The Knights will take part in several tournaments this season, including the NHTI tournament at New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord, N.H. the weekend of September 26 through September 28, the Dig Pink tournament at Community College of Rhode Island in Providence, R.I. on Saturday, October 11, hosting the MCCAC tournament at Northern Essex on Saturday, October 18, and the NJCAA Regional tournament at Northern Essex on Saturday, October 25.
Players interested in joining the volleyball team should report to practice Friday, September 5 or see Sue MacAvoy in room D123 of the Sports and Fitness Center.
Women’s Basketball
After not being able to field a team last season due to lack of players, excitement is once again swirling around the Knights basketball team.
Over the past year, head coach Brent Bass has been recruiting players from around the region, pushing the Knights’ philosophy of good basketball and a quality education. His main goal is to see that his recruiting is taking effect.
When asked about his recruiting efforts and the possibility of getting a full squad, coach Bass said,
“There’s a ton of bodies out there, it’s just a matter of connecting with them and getting them to come out and play here.”
Bass went on to state that the message that he’s been giving to all his potential players is,
“We’re not here just to play, this is a viable collegiate option for these players.”
This season looks to be a challenging one as the Knights look to get back into the competitive swing of things, with six of their first ten divisional games on the road, including one at perennial powerhouse Roxbury Community College.
While a full season would have to be considered a successful one, the goal is still to put a competitive team out on the floor. Once that is established, coach Bass is confident that he can build on that.
All players who are interested in joining the women’s basketball team should attend the meeting with coach Bass on Monday, September 15 at noon in room D129 of the Sports and Fitness Center.
Softball
Entering their second season since reforming in early 2014, the Knights’ softball team is looking to make big improvements.
Last season, the Knights fielded their first team in decades, and the results weren’t ideal.
Despite their 0-8 record, however, the buzz has been getting louder around the building of the team.
Every player on the 16-person roster in the spring was a freshman, meaning that there is an abundance of returning players to the team, as well as the new recruits from coach Robert Gillespie.
This is the foundation coach Gillespie is building on, and the Knights look to make a real competitive leap this season.
The team will have a fall practice and scrimmage season to prepare for the upcoming spring season.
Players who are interested in playing are urged to contact coach Robert Gillespie.
Coach Gillespie is very excited about the new year and is constantly looking for new players to join the team and help make a difference. He is constantly networking, saying, “We can use as much publicity as we can get this year.”
Baseball
For the third time in three years, and the fourth time in the last eight, the Knights’ baseball team went to the NJCAA Division III World Series in Tyler, Texas.
After winning their first game in the tournament, they lost their next two, getting eliminated and finishing with a 21-14 record, good enough for sixth in the nation.
The buzz surrounding the team is as loud as ever, as the Knights look to make yet another trip to Texas next spring.
In addition to their championship-level play, the Knights also had two All-Americans on their roster.
Zack Beckwith received 2nd team All-American honors before graduating and transferring to UMass Boston, while Dan Peters received Academic All-American honors before graduating and transferring to Rivier College.
The Knights will also be having a fall practice and scrimmage season to get ready for the upcoming season. Information on scheduled games will be printed as it becomes available.
This season should prove to be an exciting one for all the Knights’ teams, with plenty of wins and celebrations in the near future.
Be sure to come out and support the Knights whenever possible and show your true team spirit. Information on teams and schedules can be found at the athletic department’s new website,
athletics.necc.mass.edu.
Important correction: In the print version, the term “lady Knights” is used. The Observer has been informed that the women’s teams should be referred to has just, “the Knights,” and we have made the correction online accordingly. Edited Sept. 4.
The NECC Knights jump for joy as they win the championship game. Photo courtesy of NECC NewsroomIn a winner-take-all second game on Sunday, Daniel Bonito (Swampscott) twirled a three-hitter to give the Northern Essex Community College baseball team the Region XXI Championship over Massasoit Community College at Colombo Field. As a result, Northern Essex will be heading to the NJCAA World Series in Texas for the third consecutive season.
Massasoit captured game one, 12-5, to force the deciding game, which the Knights won by a score of 8-2 to send NECC (20-12) to the NJCAA World Series for the third straight season.
“It was a long tough day. It was a battle. Both teams were great. Massasoit showed why they were the No. 1 team. In the first game there was nothing we could do, they just beat us,” Northern Essex head coach Jeff Mejia said. “It was a battle between two really, really good teams and it was just a pleasure to be a part of that. As a coach, I feel honored to coach these guys. We have a great group of hard working kids.”
After Massasoit put up 12 runs in game one, the top-seeded Warriors had a difficult time all day with Bonito. The southpaw was outstanding on the bump for the Knights, going the distance surrendering just three hits and yielding two unearned runs. Bonito struck out seven and worked around six walks and one hit by pitch.
In fact, Bonito walked the bases loaded on two occasions — in the second and ninth innings — but he escaped both threats unscathed.
“We say that a lot about Danny, that is is effectively wild,” Mejia said. “But then he gets in a groove and he is tough to hit. He was heavily recruited out of high school as a pitcher, but I also liked his swing. When he came here (after transferring from Western New England College), I told him you’ll have a chance to swing and pitch and he told me ‘just let me know when I need to win the big one’. He stopped a three-game losing streak for us earlier in the year and today was obviously his biggest game of the season for us.”
Bonito did not allow a hit until two outs in the fourth on a double by Matt Levasseur. The only other hits Massasoit could muster came on an infield single in the fifth and two-out single in the eighth.
“I honestly just tried to stay calm,” Bonito said. “I’m one of the oldest guys on the team. I’ve been there (in pressure situations) before. I just concentrated on throwing strikes and getting my outs and having my fielders help me out.”
Massasoit starter David Tarr and Bonito matched zeroes until the top of the fifth, when the Warriors scored two unearned runs.
However, NECC bounced right back in the bottom of the frame when leadoff hitter Jonathan De La Cruz (Haverhill) connected for a two-homer homer to knot the score at 2-2.
Bonito settled down after the fifth. The sophomore retired the side in order in the sixth and seventh frames as part sending down 10 straight Warrior batters from the fifth through the eighth innings.
In the sixth, the Knights put up a three-spot thanks to a two-run triple by Michael Crisostome (Lynn) and RBI single from David Quazada (Lawrence) to take the lead for good.
Leading 5-2 in the last of the eighth, NECC added some insurance, as MacDaniel Singleton (Everett) cashed in with a bases clearing double to round out the scoring on the day, 8-2 in favor of the Knights.
“It is obviously a great feeling to go to the World Series and I’m really excited to go with this group of guys,” Bonito said. “That is a good Massasoit team and it was nice to finally beat them.”
The Warriors had defeated the Knights four consecutive times this season, before they claimed the most important one, sending NECC to the NJCAA World Series for the third straight season.
