Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

IMMACULATA, Pa.- Immaculata (19-16, 9-6 CSAC) earned a doubleheader split against Keystone (23-7, 9-3 CSAC) on Saturday afternoon in Colonial States Athletic Conference action.  The Macs dominated game one, 10-2, and lost a back-and-forth high scoring affair despite a big comeback, 14-12.
 
Senior Dan Whalen was outstanding on the mound for the Macs as he tossed the eighth complete game of his career going seven innings with a season-high tying nine strikeouts, and allowing seven hits and two runs.
 
Offensively, the Macs were led by junior catcher Ryan Tecco who went 3-for-3 with two runs scored, a stolen base, and a career high four RBIs, while junior left fielder Jason McCormick was a catalyst at the top of the lineup with two hits and three runs scored to become the third Mighty Mac in team history to reach 100 runs in his career.
 
The Mighty Macs got the scoring started in their half of the first after a 1-2-3 inning by Whalen.  McCormick (2-for-3, 3 R, BB) singled through the left side and moved to second on a wild pitch.  After a pop out, Tecco lined a single to right field to score McCormick and stake the Macs to a 1-0 lead.
 
After a scoreless second inning, Keystone tied it in the top of the third with a run, but Whalen ended the threat with a groundout to third base.  The Mighty Macs then sent seven hitters to the plate in the bottom of the third, and plated four runs to take a 5-1 lead through three innings.
 
Senior centerfielder Rick DiDomenico (1-for-1, 2 R, BB, HBP) singled up the middle and he went to third on McCormick's second single through the left side on the day.  Senior first baseman Mike Lascomb (R, HBP) was then hit by a pitch to load the bases, and IU re-took the lead on suicide squeeze by Tecco that moved both runners into scoring position.  Junior designated hitter Matt Simon (R, RBI) lofted a deep fly ball to right field in the next at bat that the right fielder couldn't handle which scored McCormick from third and put two runners in scoring position again.  Senior shortstop Ryan Ficca (1-for-1, R, RBI, BB, HBP) then executed the second suicide squeeze of the inning to make it 4-1, and a wild pitch scored Simon to give IU a four-run lead after three.
 
The Giants got one in the top of the fourth to trim the IU lead to 5-2, but Whalen kept them there with a shutout frame in the fifth.  The Macs got the run back in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI groundout by sophomore second baseman Pat Devenney to score Tecco and IU held a 6-2 lead through five innings.
 
Whalen continued his fine outing as he got through the sixth unscathed, and the Macs put the game out of reach in the bottom of the inning on a two-run bloop single by Tecco to right field that scored DiDomenico and McCormick.  IU added two more insurance runs as Kalamets skied a flyball to centerfield that fell to the ground and scored Tecco from third and Ficca from first after he walked with two outs.
 
Whalen (5-1) finished off his fifth complete of the season with a 1-2-3 innings, including two more strikeouts.  With the complete game, Whalen now holds the school record for innings pitched with 181 2/3, passing Bryan McHale.  He also needs just four more strikeouts to break the previous record of 176, also held by McHale.
 
The second game was a different story as Keystone scored six runs in the first inning against junior starter Kenny Anderson, and built their lead up to 8-0 through two and a half.  The lead would sit at 9-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth when the Mighty Macs broke out for their biggest inning of the season, a nine-run fifth to take an 11-9 lead.
 
The inning started with a strikeout, but the next 11 hitters would reach safely as the Macs took the improbably lead.  The first three hitters reached on two errors and a walk to load the bases with one out.  Sophomore third baseman Brad Misialek (1-for-3, R, RBI, BB) walked to bring in the first run of the frame, and DiDomenico (1-for-4, R, RBI) got the 100^th hit of his career, the eighth Mighty Mac ever, to bring home two and make it 9-5.  McCormick then hit a ball over the left fielder's head for a two-run triple and the Macs were within two at 9-7.
 
Following a pitching change, Lascomb doubled to center field, and Tecco (2-for-5, R, RBI) then lined a single up the middle to tie the game at 9-9.  Simon walked to put two on, and they both advanced to scoring position on a passed ball.  Ryan Ficca (1-for-4, R, RBI, BB) then put the Mighty Macs ahead with an RBI bloop single down the left field line, and after the Macs loaded the bases again, Pat Devenney (1-for-2, R, RBI, BB) laid down a suicide squeeze to put the Macs in front 11-9.
 
However, Keystone would get a pair of runs against junior reliever Kyle Bacher and sophomore reliever Billy Manzo to tie the game, 11-11.  Senior Nick Campione would come in and put out the fire with a strikeout and fielder's choice to keep it tied.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, the Mighty Macs would take the lead for the second time as Lascomb laced an RBI double into the right field corner with two outs to score McCormick who reached on an error, and the Macs held a 12-11 lead needing just three outs from Campione.
 
Campione retired the first two in order, but a double, followed by a triple tied the game back at 12-12 for the third time in the final three innings.  The Giants would take the lead for good with a two-run home run on the next hitter to take a 14-12 lead.
 
IU got the first two runners on, but a double play ball and a groundout ended the wild back-and-forth game.
 
Sophomore Trevor O'Brien did a great job slowing the Keystone offense as he entered in the first inning, and kept the Giants at bay.  Trailing 8-0, the Macs finally got on the board in the bottom of the third inning.
 
McCormick (XXXX) singled to left to lead off and Lascomb (3-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 2B) did the same to put two on with nobody out.  A fly out moved McCormick to third and he scored on an RBI single to right field by Simon (1-for-3, R, RBI, BB, HBP).  Ryan Ficca then grounded a ball to second base which looked like a possible double play, but a wide throw to first allowed Lascomb to come around from second to score and trim the deficit to 8-2.
 
Keystone hit their second home run of the game in the top of the fourth to extend the lead to 9-2.  O'Brien would eventually be pulled in the top of the fifth after 4 2/3 innings where he gave up three and struck out two.  Bacher came in to close out the fifth with IU down by seven, and he retired the only hitter he faced, giving way to the late inning comeback.
 
The Mighty Macs will play one more non-conference at DeSales this week before wrapping up CSAC play with a series against Gwynedd Mercy next weekend.