Box Score
ASTON, Pa.- The Mighty Macs (16-13, 6-4 CSAC) returned to Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) play on Friday afternoon as they opened a three-game set at Neumann (13-12, 6-2 CSAC), and the Knights took control of the game with a six-run fourth inning, and IU's comeback came up a few runs short in an 8-5 defeat. The two teams will complete the three-game set on Saturday afternoon with a 12 p.m. doubleheader at the IU Baseball Field.
Junior
Ryan Blough (2-4) tossed the first complete game of his career in a losing effort as he went eight innings and struck out three, while surrendering eight runs and nine hits.
On offense, the Macs outhit the Knights, 10-9, as they got a pair of hits each from junior catcher
Ryan Tecco (2 R, 2B), junior right fielder
Howie Kalamets (RBI, SB, BB), and sophomore designated hitter
Justin Dempsey (RBI, SB, 2B, HBP).
Neumann got to Blough in the bottom of the first on a two-out RBI single, but IU struck back with a two-out run of their own in the second. Tecco hit a one out single, and came around to score on an RBI double down the left field line by Dempsey with two outs to tie the game.
Blough delivered a shutdown inning in the second, and the Macs took their first lead of the game in the third on two unearned runs. Senior center fielder
Rick DiDomenico (1-for-3, R, SB, HBP) was hit by a pitch to start the inning, moved to second on a balk, and to third on an error off the bat of junior second baseman
Jason McCormick. After a pair of outs put two runners in scoring position with two outs, junior left fielder
Matt Simon (1-for-5, 2B, 2 RBIs) delivered a two-run double down the right field line to stake IU to a 3-1 lead.
The score would hold at 3-1 until the bottom of the fourth when the Knights broke out with a big inning. They sent nine hitters to the plate and had two big swings with a three-run triple and two-run home run to take a 7-3 lead through four innings.
However, Blough responded with back-to-back 1-2-3 innings in the fifth and sixth and retired 10 straight at one point as he would hold Neumann down for the next three innings.
IU responded quickly with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. Senior first baseman
Mike Lascomb (1-for-5, R, RBI, HR) hit a lead-off home run down the right field line, and the Macs added another in the inning on an RBI single from Kalamets to score Tecco as IU cut the deficit to 7-5.
The Macs would threaten again in the sixth as the first two runners reached, but back-to-back outs shut down the rally, and IU was unable to muster enough offense in the closing innings to come back.
Neumann added a run on a solo home run in the eighth and that would get to the final of 8-5.
