The Lions boasted an explosive offense as they capped off a three-game winning streak with a 19-3 victory over Nichols College on March 15.
Senior catcher Sergio Sencion led the Lions (8-2-1) with three RBIs, three runs scored and a double. Greg Martinez, senior catcher, also posted his second home run of the season with an in-stadium homer in the ninth.
Junior first baseman Pat Zegarski finished 3-for-3 with two doubles and a single. In total, the College tallied 24 hits, including seven doubles and one triple.
"Everyone is capable of knocking runs in and getting hits," Zegarski said. "In the lineup, from one to nine, everyone is capable of doing the job."
The Lions' defense was also strong as senior pitcher Bryan Shaffer pitched a complete game giving up only three runs off seven hits throughout the game.
Dell said this optimism is good for the team. "It's important. Baseball is all about confidence," he said.
The Lions posted huge victories over Mayville State and Western New England College on Friday, March 14.
After a slow start, the Lions exploded at the top of the fourth, scoring eight runs, bringing the lead to 11-0 over Western.
Western broke the shutout in the bottom of the eighth. Lions' pitcher junior Matt Szustowicz fanned nine batters, giving up only the one run.
The Lions tallied 17 hits with Schoonhoven finishing 4-for-5 at the plate with two RBIs and two runs scored. Sencion had a 3-for-5 effort and one RBI.
"It felt good to get multiple hits," Schoonhoven said. "The most important thing is that we won."
Earlier that day, the Lions defeated Mayville 14-2, rebounding after a 4-5 loss to Lebanon Valley College.
The Lions saw their greatest action at the end of the game after scoring four runs in the seventh and six runs in the eighth.
Junior Mark Sanborn pitched the entire game, fanning 15 batters and giving up only four hits.
The College also tallied 16 hits, including two RBIs and two stolen bases by junior outfielder Jonathon Mizglewski.
Despite heavy losses of senior players from last season, the Lions completed their Spring training session in Florida, March 6-15, with success.
"We got a few games under our belt down there and feel we are prepared better," Mike Feaster, freshman outfielder, said. "I think we're all really excited about the season."
Coach Rick Dell feels the Lions can still improve. "If I thought we were on the top of our game now, I'd be concerned. I think we have a lot of room for improvement."
"Everything went really well in Florida," Schoonhoven said. "It felt good to leave the snow behind and perform as well as we did."
Upcoming Game
The Lions play Gwynedd-Mercy College on Wednesday.
