Box Score

LA PLUME, Pa.- In the opener of a Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) series between the conference's two best teams, the Mighty Macs (18-15, 8-5 CSAC) fell on the road at Keystone (22-6, 8-2 CSAC) by a score of 11-4 in the opener.  The two teams will now meet at Immaculata tomorrow afternoon at 12 p.m. in a doubleheader.
 
Junior leftfielder Matt Simon hit the first home run of his career in the loss and junior right fielder Howie Kalamets hit a double and a triple, which gives him a program record-tying eight three baggers this season.
 
Junior Ryan Blough (2-5) took the loss as he went five innings, giving up six earned runs (10 total), while striking out six and walking three.  Sophomore Ryan Joyce was great out of the bullpen, going three innings and allowing just one unearned run.
 
The Macs had their first two runners of the game on, but a double play erased the early threat.  The game went to the bottom of the second scoreless, but Keystone struck first with a pair of runs to take a 2-0 lead.
 
They then built up an insurmountable advantage in the third by plating five runs as they strung together five singles with a walk, and led 7-0.
 
The Macs got their first run of the game on Simon's long drive to left field, but that would be their only hit in the second through fourth innings as the IU offense struggled to get going.
 
Keystone chased Blough with three unearned runs in the fifth and led 10-1 through five.
 
The Macs produced a couple runs in the seventh as Simon (1-for-2, 2 R, RBI, HR) walked with one out and scored on Kalamets triple to right-center field.  Kalamets came in to score on a wild pitch as IU trimmed it to 10-3.
 
Keystone got an unearned run in the eighth, and the Macs got one back in their half of the ninth to get to the final of 11-4.