Box Score

IMMACULATA, Pa.- After 12 days off due to the winter weather recently, the Immaculata baseball team (5-3) finally opened their home field on a chilly Thursday afternoon and took advantage as the Mighty Macs defeated Richard Stockton (6-7) in non-conference play, 10-9.
 
Senior right fielder Dom Ficca had a huge day with three hits and four RBIs, while freshman catcher Tyler Kmiec (HR, 2 R, RBI) and senior shortstop Ryan Ficca (2 R, RBI, 2 SB) each had two hits.  Freshman Timmy Newell his first career win in his first collegiate start.
 
Newell allowed a run in the first and the score held at 1-0 into the bottom of the second.  The Macs had senior first baseman Matt Simon (1-for-5, 2 R, SB) on third after he reached on a fielder's choice, and Dom Ficca tied the game with a bloop double to center field with two outs.
 
Newell worked around a two out single in the third, and sent IU to the plate in the bottom of the inning when they broke the game open with five runs.  Junior Pat Devenney (1-for-2, R, 2 BB, SB) walked and stole second, and after senior centerfielder Jason McCormick (1-for-4, HBP, R) was hit by a pitch, Kmiec laid down a perfect bunt down the third base line that the pitcher fielded and threw to first, but nobody was covering allowing Devenney to score and the other two runners to move into scoring position.
 
Ryan Ficca then brought McCormick home with an RBI single, and two batters later, Dom Ficca had his second hit of the day on an infield single to score Kmiec and make it 4-1 IU.  Junior third baseman Brad Misialek (1-for-4, 2 RBI, SB) then delivered the big blow of the inning with a line drive two run single to left field to swell the lead to five at 6-1.
 
The Ospreys threatened to get back into the game in the fourth as they loaded the bases with two outs, but Newell induced a fielder's choice to keep them off the board and put the IU offense back to work.
 
Kmiec started the inning with a big swing has he hit a towering home run to left field to make it 7-1, but IU wasn't done as they put two more runners on with a single and walk, which allowed Dom Ficca to continue his big day with a two-run single to left and a 9-1 Mighty Mac advantage.
 
Stockton cut into the lead with two runs in the fifth, which ended Newell's day.  The freshman earned the win with five innings of work while allowing three runs, one earned, and striking out one.
 
Senior Adam Wheatley came on in relief and allowed three runs in the sixth, but the Macs got one back on a two-out RBI double to left-center by senior first baseman Ryan Tecco (1-for-3, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, SB) to score Simon and keep IU in front 10-6.
 
Wheatley allowed a leadoff single which brought in sophomore Zach Smiley to induce a double play ball and end any threat by the Ospreys.  However, Stockton got two in the eighth off Smiley to send the game to the ninth with IU holding a 10-8 lead.
 
Senior Kyle Bacher came on to close out the game, and after getting the first out on a fly out, the next two hitters reached on an error.  Bacher got a strikeout but a single scored one before the game ended on a groundout.
 
The Macs will open CSAC play on Saturday with a home doubleheader at 12 p.m. against Centenary.