Baseball
 |  |
Baseball: Norwich Beats St. Michael's, 5-3
NORTHFIELD, Vt. - Ryan Kelly allowed just one earned run over 8.2 innings, and Rob Knox went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in to help lead the Norwich University baseball team to a 5-3 victory over visiting St. Michael's College Wednesday afternoon at Garrity Field.
It marked the first victory of the season for the Cadets, who improve to 1-23-1 on the year. The Purple Knights, meanwhile, fall to 9-11.
Norwich got off to a quick start, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Joe Sleeman singled through the right side of the infield and came around to score on Knox's two-out RBI double to deep right field.
St. Michael's took the lead in the top of the third inning with a pair of unearned runs. The Purple Knights scored both runs in the inning without the benefit of a single base hit. Two Norwich errors helped SMC push across both runs.
Norwich tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third when David Maxfield hit a ground-rule double and came around to score on Knox's RBI single.
The Cadets went in front for good in the sixth inning when they plated a pair of runs. Emilio Martinez drove in one of the two runs with an RBI single. The other run scored on a St. Michael's error.
Norwich added an insurance run in the seventh when Donovan Brown laced an RBI single to plate Knox, who had doubled.
The run support was all the Kelly (1-4) needed, as the sophomore right-hander was brilliant throughout the contest. He allowed only four hits during his outing, while striking out five. He was lifted with two outs in the ninth inning and two men on.
Don Dibastiani allowed one of those runners to score as Matt Beaulieu ripped an RBI double. Dibastiani retired the next batter on a groundball to shortstop to end the game and earn the save.
Mike Robert (1-3) took the loss on the hill for the Purple Knights, allowing three earned runs on 11 hits over 7.0 innings. He struck out six, while not yielding a walk.
Norwich will continue its eight-game homestand on Saturday, April 18, when the Cadets host Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) rival Rivier at Garrity Field in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
