Box Score SCRANTON, Pa. - Fourth-seeded Immaculata University scored a run over each of the first three innings and added one more in the seventh, and then held off a ninth-inning rally from top-seeded Marywood University as the Mighty Macs won the opening game of the 2015 Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Baseball Championships, 4-3. Immaculata (18-14) advances into the winner's bracket and takes on second seed Keystone tomorrow morning at 10:30 a.m. at Marywood.
Mike Campisano (2-1) was spectacular for Immaculata, striking out a career-high nine and allowing just five hits and one earned run over a career-best 6.2 innings of work. Reliever
Kenny Anderson did not allow a hit in 1.1 innings.
In the first, with runners on the corners, Immaculata took a 1-0 lead when
Jason McCormick (1-for-3, 2 R, 3B) advanced home on an errant pick off attempt at first base. In the top of the second, Immaculata scored another run on a
Pat Devenney (1-for-3, SB, RBI) RBI single to right to score junior center fielder
Rick DiDomenico (1-for-3, R, BB, 3B).
The Mighty Macs went up 3-0 in the very next inning on a sacrifice fly-out to center by
Ryan Ficca (1-for-3, RBI) to score McCormick who tripled to lead off the inning.
Marywood got on the board with one run in the fifth when Erik Pulkkinen hit into fielder's choice that scored Nic Arrue, who reached on a one out double down the left field line.
Immaculata got what would become a very important insurance run in the seventh as they went up 4-1.
Chuck Wyckoff (1-for-3, RBI) singled to left to score
Ryan Tecco (1-for-2, R, 2B), who doubled to deep center to open the inning.
The Pacers would chase Campisano in the seventh as they put runners on the corners with two outs, but Anderson induced a foul out to first base to end the inning. Marywood put the first two runners on base in the eight, but a strikeout and a 4-6-3 double play ended the threat.
Marywood rallied in the ninth to score two runs, but their rally came up just short as the game ended with the bases loaded. Tommy Smith singled to open the inning and moved to second when James Goetz reached on an error. Goetz was then picked off by
Nick Campione at first as the Mighty Macs got the first out of the inning. After Arrue took a free pass to first to give the Pacers runners at first and second, Matt Sherlock singled to right to score Smith from second while Arrue advanced to third. Another walk to Pulkkinen loaded the bases for the Pacers, who would then make it a 4-3 game with a Daniel Hull single to left with just one out.
Reliever
Adam Wheatley, after giving up the single to Hull, would then close the door on Marywood's comeback attempt for the first save of his career. Wheatley would get the final two outs on a pop up down the left field line and a fly-out to center to end the game.
For Marywood, Justin Haddix (4-3) struck out seven, allowed three earned runs on ten hits in a complete game.
Mike Lascomb and
Matt Lawson each had two hits for Immaculata as well.
The Pacers (20-10) play third-seeded Neumann in an elimination game at 10:30 a.m. at Keystone. At 3 p.m., there will be a second elimination game held at Marywood between the loser of the Immaculata vs. Keystone game and the winner of the Marywood vs. Neumann game. The winner of the Immaculata and Keystone game tomorrow morning will advance to the CSAC Championship on Saturday at 12 p.m.
