Yano Sets All-Time Hits Mark In Victory
HOBOKEN, N.J. (May 8, 2016) – Senior
Jayson Yano of the Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team became the programs all-time hits leader as the Ducks topped Amherst College 8-5 Sunday.
The Ducks moved to 26-13, while Amherst fell to 23-11.
Amherst struck first in their first at bat, putting up three runs. The big blow was a three-run home run by Dave Cunningham. The Ducks got a run back in the home half inning, starting with a leadoff double by senior
Jayson Yano. Junior
Nolan Bennett roped a single up to knock in Yano and cut the deficit to two.
The Lord Jeffs tacked on a run in the second, but senior
Greg Jakusik induced a 1-2-3 double play to escape the jam. The next three innings went by scoreless, before Stevens trimmed the lead back down to a pair in the fifth. With the bases loaded, junior
Michael Mule' hit a fly-ball to right center that looked like a homer, but the wind held it up. Bennett would score on the play, giving Mule' a sacrifice fly.
Stevens once again whittled the lead down in the sixth, tacking on a run. Yano recorded his third of the afternoon, his 208th of his career and the new program record, with one out in the frame. Bennett hit a rocket that glanced off the second basemen's glove and scored Yano to bring the Ducks within one.
Stevens completed the comeback in the seventh, as senior
Nick Sieber and Mule' got on base with no outs. Both runners advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch, but the next two hitters were retired. Sophomore
David Ferrara delivered a cluthc pinch-hit, two-out, two-strike, two-run double to left center to give the Ducks a 5-4 lead.
Mule' dropped a two-run single down the line in the eighth, and junior
P.J. Wiegartner hit a sacrifice fly to score Sieber from third. Sieber elusively ducked around the tag of the catcher and got a hand in just before the tag to add an additional insurance run. Harry Roberson of Amherst had an RBI single in the ninth but Yano got a strikeout with the tying run on deck for his first career save.
Bennett matched his career-high with four hits while also collecting two RBI's, and Mule' was 3-for-4 with three RBI's. Jakusik tossed six innings out of the bullpen to earn his third win of the year, as he struck out seven.
Max Steinhorn led Amherst with two hits in the setback.