CORBETT BLANKS WARRIORS; LEADS PACE PAST MERRIMACK, 2-0
NORTH ANDOVER, MA - Senior starting pitcher Dustin Corbett (Vestal, NY/Vestal) tossed a complete game shutout to help lead the Pace University baseball team, ranked third in the latest NCAA Division II Northeast Regional Poll, over the Warriors of Merrimack College, 2-0, in Northeast-10 Conference action, this afternoon at Warrior Field in North Andover, Massachusetts. With their win, Pace improves to 23-12-1 on the season and 13-3-1 in the NE-10, while Merrimack falls to 13-18 overall on the year and an even 9-9 in conference play.
Corbett (5-1) went the distance scattering four hits and allowing two walks, while striking out six over nine solid innings of work to pick up his fifth win of the season. His counterpart, Keith Johansen (1-1) lasted just four innings, allowing two runs on five hits, while walking five and fanning four. Josh Sohn came in on relief keeping the Warriors in the ballgame surrendering just one hit and striking out four over four innings. Chris Caron finished the game for Merrimack pitching the final inning, surrendering a pair of hits and striking out one.
The Setters got on the board early scoring a run in the top of the first. Junior Andre Liscinsky (Trumbull, CT/Trumbull) drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from sophomore Mike Torello (Cheshire, CT/Cheshire). Senior Jack Cawley (Bronx, NY/Iona Prep) followed with an RBI double down the leftfield line to bring home Liscinsky, putting Pace up 1-0. The Setters would later load the bases with a walk and a hit by pitch, but the Warriors would escape without anymore damage as Johansen struck out a pair to end the inning.
Pace would score their second and final run of the game in the top of the third, as senior Matt Rigoli's (Parsippany, NJ/Parsippany) RBI single to centerfield scored Cawley. Cawley walked to reach base and moved to second on a single from sophomore Vinny Dammann (Mullica Hill, NJ/Gloucester Catholic).
Rigoli and sophomore JJ Conrad (Hamburg, NJ/Wallkill Valley) each had a pair of hits on the day for the Setters.
The Warriors had their best chance to score in the bottom of the seventh as Merrimack threatened to break the shutout. Ryan Shepard drew a leadoff walk to reach base and moved to second on a sacrifice. Bob McCarthy followed with a single to center as Shepard attempted to score from second, but was thrown out at the plate by senior centerfielder Joe Barracato Westbury, NY (W.T. Clarke) to preserve Corbett's gem. McCarthy had a solid day for Merrimack going 2-for-3 at the plate.
Pace will be back in action tomorrow, Friday, April
18th, as the Setters will play host to regional foe C.W.
Post in non-conference play at Finnerty Field on the Pleasantville
campus of Pace University. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.