Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ASTON, Pa.- The Immaculata baseball team got their 2016 season underway on a beautiful day at the Maplezone Sports Institute in Aston, Pennsylvania with a doubleheader against Arcadia University, but the Mighty Macs (0-2) struggled to get going offensively and dropped both ends, 1-0 and 10-5.
 
The Macs managed just seven hits between the two games, and were unable to take advantage of a great pitching performance from senior Dan Whalen in game one.
 
In the opener, Whalen was outstanding over seven innings, the fifth complete game of his career, scattering six hits and striking out six while allowing just one run and walking one.  Senior Mike Lascomb (1-for-2, HBP), senior Rick DiDomenico (1-for-3, 3B), and junior Howie Kalamets (1-for-3) each registered a hit for the Macs in the game.
 
Whalen got his season started well with two strikeouts in a perfect first, and worked around an error and single in the second to keep the Knights off the board before another 1-2-3 inning in the third.
 
Offensively, Lascomb was hit by a pitch in the first, but was stranded at first, and Kalamets singled with two outs in the second, but was thrown out trying to steal second.
 
In the fourth, with the game still scoreless, Whalen got some help from his defense as junior catcher Ryan Tecco threw out a would-be base stealer for the first out, and senior shortstop Ryan Ficca made a great leaping catch to keep the Knights at bay.  The Macs had a chance as well with Lascomb leading off with a single, but after advancing to second, he was doubled off on a fly out to end the threat.
 
IU's best chance came in the fifth when DiDomenico led off with a triple, but a groundout and two pop outs stranded DiDomenico at third base.
 
After both teams were retired in the sixth, Arcadia finally broke through in the seventh for the only run of the game.  A one out single moved to third base on a double, and an RBI groundout gave the Knights a 1-0 lead.
 
In the Macs' half of the seventh, DiDomenico reached on an error with one out, but did not advance further as IU fell 1-0.
 
Junior Kenny Anderson got the start in game two and surrendered four runs over four innings of work before sophomore Tyler Sassaman surrendered one in the fifth, and the Macs trailed 5-0 midway through the fifth.
 
The Macs finally broke out offensively in the next inning as they batted around and scored five to tie the game.  Junior catcher Dom Ficca led off with a walk, and sophomore pinch runner Justin Dempsey moved to third base as Kalamets reached on an error to put runners on the corners.  Freshman Tom Prato then plated the first run of the Immaculata season and his first career RBI with a sacrifice fly to score Dempsey and make the game 5-1.
 
Sophomore pinch hitter Coleman Richards was hit by a pitch, and junior left fielder Jason McCormick (1-for-3, R) walked to load the bases.  Lascomb (1-for-4, 2 RBIs) then delivered a huge swing with a double off the right field wall to score two runs and cut the deficit in half at 5-3.  Ryan Ficca (BB, SB) brought another run home with an RBI groundout, and senior third baseman Rob Wallace (1-for-3, 2B, RBI) drove in the tying run with a double to make it 5-5 through five innings.
 
However, Arcadia came back with a big response, scoring five runs off of freshman Brandon Shapiro and sophomore Trevor O'Brien in the sixth inning to take a commanding 10-5 lead.
 
Ryan Blough finished out the game with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief including two strikeouts, but the IU offense was unable to muster a comeback.
 
The Mighty Macs will now look forward to their nine-game Florida road trip, beginning next Saturday against Massachusetts Maritime Academy.