WENHAM, Mass.—Gordon Baseball surrendered only two runs between two games as the Fighting Scots were able to sweep visiting Norwich at J. Tec White Field on Thursday. The Scots used one big inning to beat the Cadets 8-2 in game one before shutting their opponents out 4-0 in the nightcap.
 
The Fighting Scots run their streak of victories to seven games and sit at 11-5 entering this weekend's Commonwealth Coast Conference opener. Norwich falls to 1-15 this season.
 
 
Game One: Norwich 2 – 8 Gordon
 
High gusts of wind reaching nearly 35 mph impacted the way the games were played from the very start. Norwich put its first two batters of the game on base with a pair of singles, putting pressure on Gordon starter Ryan Block (Egg Township, N.J.). The Fighting Scots looked poised to limit the damage on a ground ball to set up a potential double play, but a two-error play allowed Kevin Lynch (Randolph, Mass.) to score from second.
 
After Block walked the bases loaded, he got himself out of the jam with a play at home and a double play on back-to-back at bats.
 
Gordon loaded the bases with only one out in the bottom of the first, but a well-executed twin killing ended the frame effectively.
 
The next two innings went by with little action, but Gordon was able to tie the game in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice to center by Dean Demers (Sandy Hook, Conn.).
 
The Fighting Scots exploded for seven runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning as the elements wreaked havoc on the Cadet defense. Gordon put four hits together in the inning as they batted around, but two errors and a handful of free bases kept the rally alive for the Scots. Ryan Paulsen (Latham, N.Y.), Alex Smith (Wethersfield, Conn.) and Demers all drove in runs with singles in the inning, while Chris Leavitt (Bridgewater, Mass.) and Erik Holvik (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) each earned free passes with the bases full to usher in scores.
 
Norwich tacked on its final run in the top of the seventh inning with back-to-back doubles by Matt Sirois (Southington, Conn.) and Dustin Spatz (Bernville, Pa.).
 
Block earned his first win since beating Newbury in the late stages of the 2015 season. The senior lasted six innings and did not give up a hit after the first two batters. He struck out four.
 
Norwich's Kyle Farquharson (S. Ryegate, Vt.) was chased from the game after three and two-thirds despite none of his eight runs being earned. He K'd two batters.
 
Game Two: Norwich 0 – 3 Gordon
 
With the weather settling a bit for game two, both pitching staffs were able to settle into more of a groove. Gordon was able to execute on offense in the top of the second inning with a pair of singles to kick off the frame, including a bunt single by Jeremy Jackson (Waco, Texas). Leavitt was able to drive in the first run of the game with a sac fly to center to score Smith later in the inning.
 
The Fighting Scots tagged Norwich for two more runs in the third inning as Addison Tarr (Oxnard, Calif.) started things off with a triple down the line in left. Gordon's centerfielder easily scored on a groundout to the right side just a few pitches later.
 
Smith and Jackson kept the rally alive for the second inning in a row with two single-base hits. Smith scored Gordon's third run of the game when the Norwich shortstop committed an error on a grounder.
 
The Cadets threatened to bite into Gordon's lead in the fifth inning with a leadoff single and a runner reaching by a dropped third strike. However with one out in the inning, Gordon completed the unconventional 7-5-3-6 double play after the runner forgot to round back at second base.
 
Gordon added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning after Leavitt led off with a double to the corner in left. A couple of bunts allowed Leavitt to eventually cross the dish to make it a 4-0 game.
 
Connor Rogotzke (Altamont, N.Y.) registered his second win of the season, while going all seven innings. The rookie only allowed four hits and sent down three batters during the game.
 
On Deck:
Gordon hosts Western New England for a CCC doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. The Scots swept the Golden Bears for the first time in program history last season, but WNE should prove a stiff test this weekend. Western New England was ranked in the D3Baseball.com top 25 last week.
 
Norwich will look to break an 11-game losing streak on Sunday when they travel to MCLA for two games.