HENNIKER, N.H.- It was a historic day at Laurie Cox Memorial Field, as the Norwich baseball team completed their first doubleheader sweep of the season over New England College, in which senior lefty Matt Ingraffia (Lake Grove, N.Y.) broke a program record for strikeouts in a career in maroon and gold.

The Cadet offense gave Ingraffia run support early in the second inning of game one. The frame opened with a single by Brock Carpenter (East Berlin, Pa.) who would reach second on an error. A bunt single by Isaac Maldonado (Miami, Fla.) placed runners on the corners, later Maldonado would swipe second and Carpenter would score the first run of the day. After reaching third on a wild pitch, Maldonado would come home on a squeeze attempt by Jon Ringer (Cupertino, Calif.) with Ringer reaching safely. A walk to Dillan Garza (San Antonio, Texas) loaded the bases for leadoff man Kevin Ohlsen (Shirley, N.Y.) who brought around Owen Silk (North Haven, Conn.) on an RBI single. Two batters later, Geffen Franus (Leesburg, Va.) cleared the bases after shooting the left center field gap for a three RBI double. In his second at bat of the inning, Carpenter would plate Franus with an RBI single and would eventually come home on a wild pitch capping off an eight run second where they notched seven hits.
After a shutdown inning from Ingraffia, the Norwich bats went back to work extending the lead. A double by Silk, a hit by pitch to Ringer and a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third, eventually leading to Silk scoring on a wild pitch. Eventually the bases would become loaded again for Carpenter, who drove in Ringer and Ohlsen with a single giving the Cadets a double-digit lead.

Norwich padded their lead even further with a five run sixth with Tyler Callahan (Arlington, Mass.) and John O'Connor (Southington, Conn.) joining the RBI parade, soon followed by Trevor Lussier (Lyndonville, Vt.) and Tyler O'Neill (Danvers, Mass.) in the seventh to push the score 18-0 drawing an early end to the first game. A game where Carpenter (3-4, 3 RBI, 2 Runs), Franus (1-2, 3 RBI, 3 Walks), Maldonado (4-4, 2 Runs, RBI, 5 Stolen Bases), and Silk (2-3, 4 Runs, RBI) shined offensively.

The star of the show was on the mound, as Ingraffia mowed down the Pilgrims. In six innings of work, he allowed two hits, two walks, no runs and struck out nine. When he struck out the side in the fifth, he reached 170 career strikeouts, breaking the program record of 168 set by Assistant Coach Billy Whaley '17.  

Looking to avenge their loss in game one, NEC came out swinging in game two and would push across four runs. The two twin state rivals exchanged runs in the third to keep it a four-run game, until the Cadets would close the gap in the fourth with back-to-back home runs. The first was a two-run blast off the bat of Callahan, the second was a solo shot from Silk.

Sensing the opportunity, Norwich jumped ahead in the fifth starting with an O'Connor double. O'Connor was brought around by Franus to tie the game with a single. Franus would become the go ahead run after coming home on a Michael Sabasteanski (Ashburn, Va.) sacrifice fly.

While Noah Carpenter (Herkimer, N.Y.) held down the Pilgrim offense on the mound, the Cadets would extend their lead in the sixth. A leadoff walk, and consecutive base hits loaded the bags for Ohlsen who brought home Silk with an RBI groundout while everyone else moved up a station. After a pitching change, O'Connor would clear the bases with a two RBI single giving Norwich a four-run lead.

Little by little, the Pilgrims chipped away at the deficit, making it a two-run ballgame by the eighth. However, the Cadets would give themselves some breathing room. A two out double by Franus scored Ohlsen, he would later come home on a Carpenter RBI single making it a four-run game.

NEC would not go quietly into the New Hampshire night. A home run and an RBI single in the eighth cut the Norwich lead to two. The Pilgrims got to within a run in the bottom of the ninth and would bring the tying run to second, but Jordan Talbot (Belchertown, Mass.) shut the door, notching the save and securing the 11-10 win. At the plate Carpenter (3 for 5, RBI), O'Connor (2 for 4, 3 RBI), Franus (2 for 5, 2 RBI, 2 Runs), Ringer and Garza (both 2 for 5) shined. On the mound, Noah Carpenter struck out six Pilgrims in four innings of work out of the bullpen allowing two runs.

The Cadets will return home Sunday afternoon to celebrate senior day at Garrity Field when they hold their first ever meeting with the University of Saint Joseph. Senior Day ceremonies will begin at 12 PM with first pitch of the twin bill set for 1 PM.