Box Score

IMMACULATA, Pa.- In the home opener at the IU Baseball Field, the Immaculata baseball team (5-7) rallied for three runs in the eighth inning to come back and defeat the Rochester Institute of Technology (1-1) by a score of 7-6.  Junior Jason McCormick hit a game-tying two-run double, and senior Mike Lascomb brought him home with a squeeze play to give IU the lead.
 
In the decisive bottom of the eighth trailing 6-4, sophomore pinch hitter Justin Dempsey singled with one out and moved to second when he reached on an error hit by senior centerfielder Rick DiDomenico.  The third double steal of the day put two runners in scoring position, and McCormick (1-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, HBP, SB) delivered a huge two-run double to the left field corner to tie the game.  After McCormick stole third, Lascomb executed a perfect squeeze play to put IU in front 7-6.
 
After stout work from juniors Kyle Bacher and Ryan Blough in relief of senior Dan Whalen, senior Nick Campione came on to get the 11^th save of his career to preserve the victory.
 
RIT got the scoring started in the beginning of the game as Will Gorman hit a two-run home run in the first and sparked a two-run rally in the third with an RBI triple to put the Tigers up 4-0 through two and a half innings.
 
The Mighty Mac offense was slow to get going, but they halved the Tiger lead with two in their half of the third.  Sophomore second baseman Pat Devenney (1-for-4, RBI) singled through the right side, and after a ground out, DiDomenico (1-for-3, 2 SB, 3 R) was hit by a pitch to put two on with one out.  McCormick drew a walk to load the bases, and following a fielder's choice, senior shortstop Ryan Ficca (1-for-5, 2 RBI) singled down the left field line to plate two runs.
 
Whalen shut the Tigers down in the top of the inning, and the IU offense went back to work in the bottom of the frame.  Junior right fielder Howie Kalamets (1-for-3, R, 2 SB) reached on an error to lead off the inning and stole second base.  Following a walk to junior catcher Ryan Tecco (BB, SB), the two executed a double steal to put two runners in scoring position with nobody out.  Devenney then brought in Kalamets with a groundout to make it 4-3 through four innings.
 
Both pitchers put up perfect innings in the fifth, and RIT added another in the sixth to put the lead at two runs, 5-3, through six innings.
 
The Tigers would chase Whalen in the seventh by getting a run, but Bacher came in to put out the fire and not allow any more runs.  Whalen went 6 1/3 innings and allowed five earned runs while striking out five.
 
After being shut down in the fifth and the sixth, IU attempted to claw back in the game in the seventh.  DiDomenico singled to center field, and following a fly out, Lascomb (1-for-4, RBI, SB, HBP) was hit by a pitch to put two runners on.  Another double steal put two runners in scoring position, and an error on a ball hit by junior designated hitter Matt Simon (RBI) brought home DiDomenico to make it 6-4 through seven innings.
 
Bacher shut out the Tigers for 1 1/3 innings and Blough (1-2) got the win after retiring the only hitter he faced.
 
The Mighty Macs will continue their series with RIT tomorrow with an 11 a.m. doubleheader at the IU Baseball Field.