Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

IMMACULATA, Pa.-After dropping the first game of their CSAC-opening series to Neumann yesterday, the Mighty Macs returned to the IU baseball field for their home opener as they hosted the Knights for a doubleheader, and the teams split the games with the Mighty Macs (5-7, 1-2 CSAC) winning the first, 12-5, and Neumann (5-8, 2-1 CSAC) returning the favor in the night cap, 6-3.
 
In the first game, the Mighty Macs got 5 2/3 innings out of sophomore Dan Whalen (2-0) on the mound where he struck out five.  The Knights scored four runs in the first inning off Whalen, but he settled down and didn't surrender a hit again until there were two outs in the sixth.  At one point he retired 14 out of 15 Knight hitters.
 
Offensively, the Mighty Macs pounded out 12 hits and stole seven bases to take control of the first game.  Senior third baseman Eli Vottero (3-for-4, 2 2B, 3 R, RBI, SB) had three hits and three runs scored while sophomore right fielder Rob Wallace (2-for-4, R, RBI) also had a multi-hit day.  Senior Patrick Boulware (1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R) became the fourth member of the 100-hit club at Immaculata with a sixth inning double.
 
Trailing 4-0 heading to the bottom of the first, the Mighty Macs clawed back into the game with two runs.  Freshman second baseman Jason McCormick (2 R, HBP, BB, 2 SB) got hit by a pitch then moved to third on a single by sophomore centerfielder Rick DiDomenico (1-for-4, 2 R, 2 SB).  The two then executed a double steal to score the first run and DiDomenico would come around to score on an RBI groundout by Wallace.
 
The Mighty Macs would take the lead for good in the second inning as they sent eight hitters to the plate and scored four runs.  Vottero led off with a double and after a one-out walk by sophomore first baseman Mike Lascomb (1-for-3, R, SB), freshman catcher Ryan Tecco (1-for-1, HBP) was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  McCormick scored one run with an RBI fielder's choice, then Lascomb and McCormick executed another double steal to tie the game at 4-4.  McCormick would come around to score on a Neumann error, and then DiDomenico would score on the third double steal of the day to make it 6-4 through two innings.
 
IU added another run in the third on another Neumann error and the score would stay 7-4 as Whalen was cruising. 
 
Neumann finally chased the sophomore from the game in the sixth after an RBI double by catcher Kevin Leone.  Sophomore Nick Campione came on in relief and got a strikeout to end the threat.
 
Leading by just two heading to the bottom of the sixth, the Mighty Macs put the game away with five runs on five hits.  Freshman pinch hitter Nick Comito singled and came around to score on two errors to make it 8-5.  Then with two outs and nobody on, senior shortstop Joe DiGiaimo (1-for-2, R, SB) walked, moved to second on a single by Wallace, then both came around to score on Boulware's two-run double that gave him 100 hits for his career.  Vottero would follow that with an RBI double of his own and freshman leftfielder Howie Kalamets (1-for-4, 3B, RBI) would put an exclamation point on the scoring with an RBI triple as the Mighty Macs finished off the Knights, 12-5.
 
In the second game, senior Bryan McHale got the start for the Mighty Macs.  Both teams were kept off the scoreboard through two innings, but the Knights struck for two runs in the top of the third on three hits to take a 2-0 lead.
 
Much like the first game, the Mighty Macs struck back quickly with a run as McCormick (1-for-3, R, RBI, 2B) hit a two-out RBI double to score Lascomb (1-for-3, R) to make it 2-1 through three innings.
 
The score would stay the same until the fifth when the Knights took a commanding 6-1 lead with four runs, which also ended McHale's day.  Neumann batted around as the first four hitters all reached and scored.  McHale went 4 1/3 innings, striking out six while surrendering six earned runs.
 
Immaculata responded again with two runs in the fifth to make it 6-3 through five innings.  DiGiaimo hit a sacrifice fly to score one and McCormick scored on a two-out error as IU tried to get back in the game.
 
The Mighty Macs were unable to mount a comeback as they fell in game two, 6-3.
 
Immaculata will head back to non-conference games this week as they start by hosting Penn State-Abington on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.