Box Score

IMMACULATA, Pa.- The Mighty Macs entered this afternoon's non-conference game against Alvernia (18-12) at 8-0 at the IU Baseball Field this season, but the Crusaders scored six runs in the second inning and the Macs (16-13) were unable to climb out of the hole in a 9-3 loss, their first all season at home.
 
Immaculata used nine different pitchers, most of whom were effective, outside of the second inning.  Offensively, IU struggled to string together rallies as they mustered just seven hits on the afternoon, two apiece from junior left fielder Matt Simon, junior right fielder Howie Kalamets and senior first baseman Mike Lascomb.
 
Senior Dan Whalen made his first appearance in two weeks and worked a scoreless first with two strikeouts.  In the bottom of the frame, junior second baseman Jason McCormick walked, moved to second on a balk, and stole third, but the Macs were unable to score him and the Crusaders took advantage in the top of the second.
 
Alvernia got to sophomore reliever Tyler Sassaman as they had four extra base hits in the frame, including two home runs to give themselves a 6-0 lead.
 
Sophomore Collin Stringham got the final out of the second and kept Alvernia off the board in the third.  Freshman Billy Manzo and sophomore Ryan Joyce would follow suit with shutout frames in the fourth and fifth, as the Mac bullpen had slowed down the Crusader offense.
 
For the Macs, they finally got on the board in the fifth as junior catcher Dom Ficca (BB, R) walked with one out, moved to second on a groundout and came around to score as McCormick reach on a three-base error to left-center field to cut the deficit to 6-1.
 
The Crusaders got the run back in the top of the sixth against junior Kyle Bacher, and IU put one on the board in the bottom of the frame on an RBI single by Kalamets.
 
Simon got through a scoreless frame in the seventh, but Alvernia got one off a wild pitch against sophomore Justin Dempsey in the top of the eighth to extend the lead to 8-2.  In the bottom of the eighth, junior catcher Ryan Tecco (1-for-2, RBI, BB) singled up the middle to bring the Macs closer again at 8-3, but Tecco was cut down at the plate trying to score to end the eighth.
 
Alvernia added one more in the ninth against junior Ryan Blough to get to the 9-3 final.
 
The Mighty Macs will look to improve on their 6-3 CSAC mark this Friday when they open a three game set at Neumann at 3 p.m.