Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

IMMACULATA, Pa.- The Mighty Macs (18-13, 8-4 CSAC) picked up a huge doubleheader sweep on Saturday afternoon at the IU Baseball Field as they took both ends from Neumann (13-14, 6-4 CSAC) by scores of 7-2 and 6-5.  In the first one, the Macs got a great complete game effort from senior Dan Whalen and early offense that carried them to the win, and in game two, IU used a dramatic four-run comeback in their final at bat and walked-off on a single by Matt Simon for the one-run victory.
 
Whalen (4-1) was great on the mound in his return to CSAC play, twirling his third complete game to lead IU in the opener.  He went seven innings, allowed two earned runs, eight hits, and struck out seven.
 
After Whalen used a double play ball and a strikeout to put a zero on the board for Neumann, the Macs used some two out base running to take advantage of a Neumann error.  Junior second baseman Jason McCormick (2 R, RBI, SB) walked to lead off the inning and moved all the way to third when senior first baseman Mike Lascomb (1-for-3, RBI, 2 SB) laid down a sacrifice bunt, but the first baseman's throw sailed into left field putting runners on the corners with nobody out.  After two strikeouts, Lascomb stole second and on the next pitch was too far off second base and when the pitcher threw to pick him off, McCormick broke for home and beat an errant throw to put IU in front 1-0 after the first.
 
In the second, the Macs put two runners on with two outs as senior shortstop Ryan Ficca (1-for-1, 2 R, RBI, BB, SB, HBP) walked and senior centerfielder Rick DiDomenico (1-for-2, R, RBI, 2 SB, HBP) was hit by a pitch, and the two of them stole to put two runners in scoring position with two outs.  McCormick then hit a groundball to the shortstop that was fielded cleanly, but the throw to first was errant allowing both runs to score and McCormick to advance to second.  Lascomb then delivered the first hit of the game for IU with a line drive over the second baseman's head to put the Macs in front 4-0.
 
Neumann had their best threat of the day as a lead-off double reached third base with one out, but Whalen got a strike out, and following a walk, junior catcher Ryan Tecco threw out the runner trying to steal to preserve the 4-0 advantage.
 
IU took advantage and continued to pile on as they added three more runs in the third.  Tecco (1-for-4, R) started with a perfect bunt single that stayed on the third base chalk line and sophomore third baseman Justin Dempsey (R, BB) walked to put two on with one out.  After a fly out moved Tecco to third base, Ryan Ficca executed a suicide squeeze that scored Tecco and Ficca reached first safely.  DiDomenico chased the starting pitcher with an RBI single to left center field to make it 6-0.  McCormick extended the lead to 7-0 on a sacrifice fly as the Macs were dominating through three innings.
 
Neumann would add single runs in the fourth and fifth as they finally got to Whalen, and they were threatening for more in the fifth with runners on the corners and one out, but he got his second double play ball of the day, this one to Ficca, to escape trouble with IU still in front 7-2 in the middle of the fifth.
 
Whalen would make the 7-0 lead hold up as he held Neumann scoreless in the sixth and allowed one in the seventh to finish off the 7-3 CSAC victory.  Whalen is now second in program history in strikeouts with 164, second in starts with 30, second in innings pitched with 174 2/3, and already holds the program record with 14 victories.
 
In the second game, the Mighty Macs were stagnant on offense most of the game, but came alive late for a huge 6-5 come-from-behind win.  They trailed 5-2 heading into their final at bat when senior left fielder Chuck Wyckoff (R, BB) walked with one out, and when Neumann brought out a new pitcher, Ryan Ficca (1-for-2, R, BB) did the same to put two on with one out.  DiDomenico (1-for-3, R, RBI, 2B) then lined an RBI double to put the tying run at second base with one out and trim the deficit to 5-3. 
 
McCormick walked to load the bases and Lascomb reached on a fielder's choice to bring a run in and put runners on the corners with two outs.  Trailing by a run and down to their last out, junior right fielder Howie Kalamets stepped to the plate and laid down a perfect bunt for a hit to tie the game at 5-5.  Simon (1-for-3, R, RBI, BB) then delivered the game-winner, an RBI single over the shortstop's head to score sophomore pinch runner Adam Conner and give IU the improbable 6-5 win.
 
Both offenses were slow to start, but Neumann took a lead with four runs in the third inning off junior Kenny Anderson, including a two-run home run.
 
The Mighty Mac offense was shut out for the first three innings, but finally got going in the bottom of the fourth.  Lascomb (1-for-4, RBI) led off with a single and moved to second after Kalamets (1-for-3, R, RBI) was hit by a pitch.  After an out, Tecco (1-for-2, BB) walked to load the bases and Dempsey (1-for-3, 2 RBIs) delivered a big two-run single down the left field line to cut the deficit in half at 4-2.  The Macs threatened for more when Ficca singled through the right side, but Tecco was cut down at the plate to end the inning.
 
Neumann added an insurance run in the top of the fifth that was charged to Anderson as they put a runner on second with two outs, which brought out junior reliever Kyle Bacher.  Bacher's first pitch was singled into left field and the Macs trailed 5-2 through four and a half.  Anderson went 4 2/3 innings and struck out two while giving up five hits and five runs.
 
After the Macs went scoreless in the bottom of the fifth, the Knights loaded the bases against Bacher with one out.  That brought out sophomore reliever Trevor O'Brien (5-2) who got a strike out and pop out to Ficca at shortstop to keep the deficit at three runs.
 
O'Brien would shut them down again in the seventh, which set up the dramatic finish in the final at bat.
 
The Mighty Macs are now 8-4 in the CSAC and in good position to make their third consecutive postseason appearance.  They will play a three-game CSAC series against Keystone next weekend, and will play their next game on Wednesday at Eastern at 3:30 p.m.