SETTERS COMPLETE SWEEP WITH 5-3 WIN IN NIGHTCAP
PETERSBURG, VA – The Pace University baseball team swept a
non-conference doubleheader from Bloomfield College, taking the
nightcap 5-3.
Pace picked up where they left off from the first half of the
doubleheader, tacking on three runs in the bottom of the
1st with two outs. JC Pullum (White Plains,
NY/Valhalla) led off the inning with a double but left the game
with a hamstring injury. Adam Harwood (Los Angeles,
CA/Brentwood) replaced Pullum and scored on a single by Jack Cawley
(Bronx, NY/Iona Prep). Mike Pahira (Holmdel, NJ/Holmdel) followed
with a single to right field, scoring Cawley and Matt Castellano
(Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph), who walked. Pace led after
one inning, 3-0, heading to the top of the second.
After both teams went scorless in the 2nd, Greg Norman (Hollywood, FL) led off the 3rd by reaching on an error by Pace second baseman Hardwood. Lino Mariot (Perth Amboy, NJ) singled to right field, but right fielder Cawley dropped the ball, allowing Norman to score and Mariot advance to third. Mariot wouild score on a groundout by Jonathan Moehlig (Clarkston, MI) to cut the Pace led to 3-2.
The Setters responded in the bottom half of the inning when Matt Arburr (Bristol, CT/ Bristol Eastern) walked with one out. Castellano singled to move Arburr to second and Cawley followed with a line drive to right field, scoring Arburr to give Pace a 4-2 lead.
The Setters threatened in the bottom of the 4th. :Matt McNichol (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic) led off with a single up the middle. Chris Brown (West Kingston, RI/ South Kingstown) lined out to center field and McNichol was put out when he failed to tag up on the fly out. Andre Liscinsky (Trumbull, CT/Trumbull) followed with his first collegiate hit. Harwood followed with a single through the infield, and Liscinsky advanced to third with a vacated third base. With runners on the corner, Harwood broke for second base. When Bloomfield pitcher Joe O’Donnell (Middlesex, NJ) stepped off and attempted to pick-off Harwood on his way to second. Second basemen Scott Brewer (Katonah, NY) then was able to catch Liscinsky leaning towards home and picked off the freshman diving back to third base.
Bloomfield chipped away at the Pace lead with a run in the top of the 5th. After Reilly got Brewer and Norman to ground out, Mariot singled with two outs. Moehlig then struck out, but the ball was in the dirt and got by catcher Brown. Brown’s throw as off line, allowing Mariot, who was running on the play, to score from first place on the play.
Reilly lasted 5 1/3 innings before being lifted in the top of the 6th in favor of Earl Oakes (Bristol, CT/ Bristol Eastern). Reilly allowed three runs, one earened, on four hits while striking out five and walking one. Reilly got Lauranzon to ground out the 6th, but gave up a double to Dziopa. Web Zachery (Hamden, CT) pinch ran for Dziopa. Oakes managed to strike out Cucchiarella and forced Tanis to ground out to first.
In the bottom half of the inning, Pace manufactured a run after McNichol and Brown both reached on bunt singles. Freshman Liscninsky sacrificed both runners over, putting two Setters in scoring position with one out and Harwood heading to the plate. Hard hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring McNichol and moving Brown to third. Brown was then called out after an appeal to second base.
Oakes managed to retire all five batters he faced over 1 2/3 to pick up his first save of the year and his 11th of his career. For the game, Cawley was 3-for-3 with two RBI while Pahira also drove in two runs. McNichol was also 2-for-3 for the game.
For Bloomfield, Mariot was 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI. Joe O’Donnell (Middlesex, NJ) took the loss after pitching a complete game. O’Donnell allowed five runs, all earned, on 11 hits while strking out two over six innings.
The two teams wrap up the three game series on Sunday, March
5th when they play one 9-inning game starting at 12:00
Noon at Petersburg Sports Complex in Petersburg, VA.