Box Score

CHESTER, Pa.- The Immaculata baseball team entered play on Tuesday afternoon riding an eight game winning streak overall and held a 10-8 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth, but Widener (20-12) scored six runs in that inning and the Mighty Macs (16-9) were unable to come back and took a 14-12 loss.  The defeat is the first for Immaculata since Monday, April 6^th at Arcadia.
 
Sophomore left fielder Jason McCormick continued his amazing run of play by setting a new program-record with five hits in today's game, including two doubles, three RBIs and one run scored.  In his last six games, McCormick has reached base safely in 22 of 26 plate appearances, and has 13 hits in his last four games.  Entering play this week, he led the nation in on-base percentage and improved his OBP to .620 after today's game. 
 
Freshman designated hitter Coleman Richards (3-for-6, 3 R, RBI, 2B) and junior shortstop Ryan Ficca (3-for-5, R, RBI) had three hits apiece, and junior third baseman Rob Wallace (2-for-6, RBI) and junior first baseman Mike Lascomb (2-for-3, 3 R, BB, HBP) each had two hits as IU had 17 in the game.  As a team, the Mighty Macs are hitting .348 this season, which placed them sixth in the country entering play today as their offense continues to produce at an impressive clip.
 
The Mighty Macs had a great start taking a 5-0 lead through two and a half innings.  McCormick led off the game with a double, was moved to second on a bunt and came home on an RBI single by Richards.  Richards would later come around to score on a throwing error by the pitcher.
 
In the second inning, Lascomb doubled to start the inning, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman second baseman Brad Misialek (1-for-2, R, RBI, HBP).  The Macs extended their lead to 5-0 in the third on an RBI by sophomore catcher Dom Ficca (2 RBIs, BB) and an RBI single by Ryan Ficca.
 
Freshman Ryan Joyce got the start for the Mighty Macs on the mound and gave up two runs in the third, and Widener would chase him in the fourth two batters in.  Freshman Eddie Decker gave up the two inherited runners, but escaped further trouble by getting three consecutive hitters to keep the Mighty Macs in front, 5-4, through four innings.  Joyce was charged with four runs, two earned, and two strikeouts.
 
The Macs got one back in the top of the fifth, as it was Richards turn to hit a lead-off double, and he came home on a sacrifice fly by Dom Ficca to put IU up 6-4.  Widener got one off of Decker in the fifth to make it a one-run IU lead.
 
In the top of the sixth, junior centerfielder Rick DiDomenico (R, RBI, BB, HBP) hit a sacrifice fly to get the run back, but Widener scored three runs off of Decker and junior John Ryan before sophomore Adam Wheatley came on to retire the first two hitters he faced to keep the Macs down just one run at 8-7.
 
Trailing for the first time all day, Immaculata ripped off a big three-run, two-out rally to take the lead back from the Pride.  With the first two hitters retired, Ryan Ficca and senior pinch hitter Matt Lawson hit singles before Lascomb got hit to load the bases.  Misialek then got hit to bring one run in and that brought McCormick to the plate and he delivered again with a two-run single to put the Macs in front 10-8.
 
Wheatley kept the score there with a perfect bottom of the seventh, but after the Macs went quietly in the eighth, Widener broke out with six runs in the eighth off of Kyle Bacher and Collin Stringham.
 
The Pride sent 10 hitters to the plate and got three hits, three walks, and a hit batsman to fuel the rally.
 
Immaculata would get two runs in the ninth on RBIs by McCormick and Wallace, but it wouldn't be enough in a 14-12 defeat.
 
The Mighty Macs will look forward to getting back into CSAC play on Friday when they open a CSAC series at home against Keystone at 3 p.m. hoping to make it 10 straight CSAC victories.