Box Score

GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa.- In a back-and-forth affair at Gwynedd Mercy (18-15, 9-4 CSAC) on Friday afternoon in the start of a crucial three-game Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) series, the Mighty Macs (19-17, 9-7 CSAC) took a late lead, but the Griffins scored two eighth inning runs that proved to be the difference in a 7-6 Gwynedd Mercy victory.  The two teams will now match up on Saturday afternoon at 12 p.m. for a doubleheader at the IU Baseball Field in what will be the final CSAC games of the season for the Mighty Macs.
 
Currently, the Macs are still in the playoff picture in fourth place with a game-and-a-half lead over Centenary, who lost to Keystone on Friday afternoon.
 
Senior shortstop Ryan Ficca went 3-for-3 with a run scored, two RBIs, and a walk to lead the Mighty Mac attack while junior catcher Ryan Tecco (run scored) and junior left fielder Jason McCormick (R, RBI, 2B) each had two hits.
 
On the mound, sophomore Trevor O'Brien went five innings, surrendered five runs (two earned), and struck out five.  Junior Kenny Anderson would take the loss in relief after surrendering two runs in three innings with two strikeouts.
 
The Macs trailed 5-2 and hadn't scored since the first inning when they went to bat in the top of the seventh.  Junior pinch hitter Justin Dempsey (1-for-1, R, RBI) and senior centerfielder Rick DiDomenico (1-for-4, R) hit back-to-back singles with one out to get the rally started, and Dempsey came around to score on an RBI double by McCormick to cut the deficit to 5-3.  Senior first baseman Mike Lascomb (1-for-5, RBI, 2B) hit an RBI groundout to score DiDomenico to trim the Gwynedd lead to one at 5-4.
 
Anderson put up a perfect 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the seventh, and the Macs would grab the lead in their half of the eighth.  Junior designated hitter Matt Simon (1-for-4) led off with a single and pinch runner Adam Connor moved to second after Ficca walked.  After a flyout moved both runners up, Connor scored on fielder's choice to tie the game.  Dempsey then drove a ball to center field deep enough to score Ficca to put the Macs in front 6-5.
 
However, the lead would not last long as Gwynedd re-took the lead in the bottom of the eighth.  Anderson retired the first two hitters on groundballs, but the Griffins would go single-double-single to take a 7-6 lead.
 
Lascomb hit a one-out double in the top of the ninth, but the next two hitters flew out to end the game.
 
The Macs got on the board in the top of the first with a two-run single by Ficca, but Gwynedd scored five runs over the first three innings and held the 5-2 lead until the seventh.
 
Prior to tomorrow's doubleheader, the Mighty Macs will recognize their eight seniors before their final home regular season games.