Michael Colebrook, Mike DiReda, Derek Migrants in key roles as Greyhound baseball advances to Northeast-10 Conference championship Sunday
May 9, 2009Assumption 4, New Haven 2
RINDGE, NH --- Junior lefthander MICHAEL COLEBROOK (Leicester, MA/Saint John's) pitched six strong innings and senior third baseman MIKE DIREDA (Shrewsbury, MA/Saint John's) hit a home run for the second straight day as second-seeded Assumption College defeated fifth-seeded University of New Haven, 4-2, in the Northeast-10 Conference playoffs here SATURDAY at Pappas Field on the campus of Franklin Pierce University.
In the first game Franklin Pierce eliminated the University of Massachusetts Lowell, 12-3. Franklin Pierce and New Haven are playing tonight (Saturday) at 7 p.m. to determine the Greyhounds opponent Sunday.
If the Greyhounds win the first game Sunday, scheduled for a 12 noon start, they are the Northeast-10 Conference postseason champion. If they were to lose, a second game would be played to determine the winner of this double-elimination event.
The Greyhounds, now 32-17-1 overall, also set a team record for most wins in a season eclipsing the 31-12 record of the 1990 team. In addition, the team has won 10 of its last 11 games including the last five straight. This will be the third time the Greyhounds have played for the postseason title having won in 1987, lost in the final round in 1988 and lost in the final in 2000.
Assumption scored quickly taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning as senior outfielder STEVE SCANNELL (Worcester, MA/Burncoat) led with a double to left centerfield and scored on a ground-rule double to center by junior outfielder DEREK MIGRANTS (Ayer, MA/Ayer).
DiReda hammered his eighth home run of the season to make it 2-0 in the fourth inning and the Hounds scored a pair of runs in the fifth inning. to retake the lead.
New Haven scored once in the third inning as freshman outfielder RYAN BROCKETT (Guilford, CT/Guilford) contributed an RBI single and tied the game in their half of the fifth inning on a solo home run by senior shortstop KYLE BOMBACE (North Branford, CT/North Branford).
Junior second baseman MATTHEW JOSE (Warwick, RI/Bishop Hendricken) led the Hounds' fifth inning with a single up-the middle and was sacrificed into scoring position by sophomore outfielder JOSH DUFRESNE (Auburn, MA/Auburn). Senior shortstop MIKE BAILLARGEON (Worcester, MA/Holy Name) singled across the go-ahead run and Migrants plated a second run with a hit off-the bag at first base.
Colebrook improved his record to 4-3 overall scattering eight hits over six innings. Junior righthanded closer TIM DUPUIS (Suffield, CT/Suffield High) finished matters with an uneventful ninth inning for his 10th save of the season.
