WORCESTER, Mass. – Junior first baseman
Braden Connors manufactured a walk-off RBI single as the Holy Cross baseball team rallied from a 5-2 eighth inning deficit to defeat non-conference foe Stonehill 6-5 Wednesday evening at the Ballpark at Fitton Field.
The win was the fifth straight for the Crusaders (14-16) and eighth over their last 11 games. The Skyhawks fell to 12-15 with the setback. This was the fourth time this season the Crusaders rallied in the late innings and earned a win.
Connors produced his first three hit effort of the season hitting a pair of doubles and the walk-off single. Junior second baseman
Alex Sandell started the rally in the eighth inning pulling a one out two RBI double down the left field line putting his team down 5-4. Junior designated hitter
John LaFleur singled to tie the game before Connors; heroics in the ninth.
Senior center fielder
CJ Egrie set the table for the lineup going 1-for-2 with four runs scored, three walks and a pair of stolen bases. Egrie is a perfect 30-for-30 on stolen bases in 2026 and needs six more steals to break his own single-season program record (35, 2025). Egrie has more walks (22) than strikeouts (10) this season.
Junior
Cole Mascott made his Crusader debut in the contest pitching relief early in the contest
STARTING ON THE MOUND:
- Sophomore Brett Mulligan: (ND), 1.0 innings pitched, zero hits allowed, zero runs, zero walks, one strikeout, 13 pitches
- Dan Lang: (ND), 4.0 innings pitched, two hits allowed, two runs, five walks, five strikeouts, 104 pitches
OUT OF THE BULLPEN:
- Junior Dan Mateffy: (W, 1-1), 1.0 innings pitched, zero hits allowed, zero runs, one walk, two strikeouts, 23 pitches
- Alex Cook: (L, 1-1), 1.1 innings pitched, two hits allowed, one run – zero earned, one walk, two strikeouts, 25 pitches
STEPPING TO THE PLATE:
- Connors: 3-for-5, two doubles, RBI, walk
- LaFleur: 2-for-5, RBI
- Egrie: 1-for-2, four runs scored, three walks, two stolen bases
- Sandell: 1-for-3, double, RBI, run scored, walk, stolen base
- Ryan LeClair: 2-for-5, two doubles, three RBI
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Egrie walked on four pitches and promptly stole second and third base. He came around to score on junio Ryan Grundy's RBI groundout for the 1-0 Crusader lead.
- An RBI double in the top of the third from the Skyhawks tied the game 1-1.
- Sandell produced an RBI groundout in the third for the 2-1 Crusader edge.
- Following a two out error from the Crusaders, Stonehill recorded a two RBI double to take the lead at 3-2 in the top of the fourth.
- A wild pitch and another miscue for Holy Cross resulted in a pair of insurance runs for the guests as they led 5-2 though five.
- Holy Cross loaded the bases in the fifth and could not cross the plate.
- The Crusaders packed the bases full again in the sixth failed to cash in a run.
- Holy Cross tallied a pair in the eighth off a Sandell two RBI double down the left field line to bring the Crusaders within one, 5-4 with one away. LaFleur tied the game with a single flared up the middle as the runner from third scored before the final out was made.
- Egrie worked a four pitch walk and advanced to second on a failed pick off attempt, Connors ripped the first pitch he saw into right field for the walk-off win.
POSTGAME THOUGHTS:
DUE UP:
- Holy Cross hits the road for a pivotal four game set with first place Patriot League opponent Bucknell (18-12, 11-1 PL) beginning on Friday, April 10.
- First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m.
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