BASEBALL SPLITS DOUBLEHEADER WITH UMASS LOWELL
PLEASANTVILLE, NY - The Pace University baseball team, ranked second in the latest NCAA Division II Baseball Northeast Region Poll, split a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader with the University of Massachusetts - Lowell today at Finnerty Field on the Pleasantville campus of Pace. The River Hawks took the first game 6-2, as the Setters came back in game two with the 5-3 victory to salvage the split. Pace moves to 28-15-1 overall on the season and 17-6-1 in the NE-10, while UMass - Lowell goes to 21-20 on the year and 15-9 in conference play.
The Setters struck first in the opener as senior Matt Rigoli (Parsippany, NJ/Parsippany) scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the second on an RBI double play groundout by sophomore Aaron Zrenda (Niantic, CT/Loomis Chaffee Prep).
The game would remain 1-0 in favor of Pace until the top of the sixth, when the River Hawks put together a five-run inning batting around the order to take the lead and eventually the win. Junior Tim Keene's (Berlin, NH) RBI sacrifice fly brought home senior Tim Manton (Swansea, MA) for UMass-Lowell's first run of the game, tying the game at 1 apiece. The River Hawks would later take a 2-1 lead as sophomore Luke Wallace (Yorktown Heights, NY) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, bringing home classmate Peter Wolstenholme (Fall River, MA). The visitors would break the game open on sophomore Peter Onorato's (Clarence Center, NY) bases clearing three-run double that plated Wallace, senior Anthony Santos (Chelmsford, MA) and freshman Sean Burns (Colchester, VT).
Senior James Barry (Chelmsford, MA) (3-4) started for Lowell tossing 8 2/3 strong innings, allowing two runs despite surrendering 13 hits, while striking out seven. His counterpart junior Zach Dayton (North Falmouth, MA/Falmouth) (4-2) took the loss allowing three runs on four hits, while walking one and striking out six in 5 2/3 innings.
Pace would strike first again in the nightcap as the Setters scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning. Sophomore Vinny Dammann's (Mullica Hill, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) RBI single off the shortstop brought home Rigoli for the first run of the game, while Dammann would come around to score on Laurence Flammia's (Massapeaqua Park, NY/St. Anthony's) RBI single.
Wolstenholme's RBI double drove home freshman Mark Wiggins (Rochester, NH) for Lowell's first run of the game in the top of the third. Rigoli would put Pace up 3-1 with an RBI single in the bottom of the third, scoring sophomore Mike Torello (Cheshire, CT/Cheshire).`
The game would remain 3-1 until the top of the seventh, as Burns' two-run single brought home Manton and Onorato to tie the game at 3 apiece. The Setters would answer with a two-run eighth to take the lead and the win. Zrenda scored the go ahead run and eventual game-winner on a wild pitch, while Rigoli scored his second run of the game on a sacrifice fly from Flammia.
Sophomore MacKenzie King (Blairstown, NJ/North Warren Regional) (3-2) picked up the win in relief tossing 2 2/3 innings, allowing just two hits and a walk, to go along with six strikeouts. Sophomore Derek Anderson (Dracut, MA) took the loss for the River Hawks, allowing two unearned runs, as he did not record an out in his relief appearance in the eighth.
Pace returns to action tomorrow, Sunday, April 27th,
as the Setters will travel to Lowell, MA for the rubber game of the
three-game season series with the University of Massachusetts -
Lowell. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. Following the game,
Pace will take on Franklin Pierce University, as the two teams will
finish their 2-2 tie from April 16th, which was called
after 13 innings, due to darkness.