BY CHRIS ARNAUDO // APRIL 18, 2017 //

The Curry College Colonels capitalized on Dean College’s lack of Division III experience and took the non-conference matchup, 10-4.

However, it was a shaky start for the Colonels as freshman Adam Duarte let the opening inning continue after he couldn’t field a double-play ball cleanly. The next batter, Daniel Blazejewski, singled through the right side to put the Bulldogs up 1-0 early.

That run would end up being the only earned run charged to starting pitcher, sophomore Matt Fogarty, though.

Vincent LoPriore leads the team with his .353 AVG. Photo Credit: Curry College Athletics

Curry formulated a response quickly, erasing the deficit in their first opportunity. Senior Alex McLean led off with a blooper to left that fell due to miscommunication. Senior starting pitcher John Lawlor went on to load the bases for the Colonels’ new clean-up man, Vinny LoPriore. The senior captain carried his .333 batting average to the plate and delivered a sacrifice fly to even the game after one.

Curry’s offense finally broke out in the third when junior Justin Cage led off with a single and was promptly given a pinch-runner so he could get back to class. Fogarty followed with a single of his own, moving sophomore Jack Kallinich to second.

After Fogarty was none other than LoPriore, who registered his second RBI of the game with a single back up the middle the give the Colonels the lead.

The fielding blunders of Dean extended the inning as freshman Jared Keller reached on an error that also allowed Fogarty to scamper home. Sophomore Tyler Jenkins stepped to the plate and added salt to the wounds as he lifted a fly ball to right field, deep enough to plate LoPriore to make the score 4-1 after three full.

Matt Fogarty improved to 2-1 on the season. Photo Credit: Curry College Athletics

Fogarty followed that big inning by retiring the side in the fourth which also marked the end of his day on the hill. He ended up scattering two hits and an earned run over four innings while striking out four batters.

Curry added another run after Fogarty left to give freshman James Mello even more insurance. The Bulldogs looked to be putting something together in their half of the sixth as they loaded the bases with only one out.

Mello buckled down, however, and erased the walks and hit by catching Aldo Ripley looking at strike three and then popped Tristian Spiller up to the second baseman to get out of the inning.

The Colonels’ bats responded for Mello and also knocked out Lawlor early in the sixth. Junior John Cave laced a triple and once McLean singled him in, Lawlor went to the dugout. Three more runs followed Cave and another came in the following inning and that was more than enough for Curry to take care of the Dean College Bulldogs and improve to 9-14 overall.

However, it wasn’t quite good enough in Head Coach Dave Perdios’ eyes, though, and he had the Colonels run 20 90-foot sprints after the final out was recorded.