Box Score

IMMACULATA, Pa.- The Immaculata baseball team (8-3, 3-0 CSAC) had to wait three extra days for their Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) series finale against Centenary (1-11, 0-3 CSAC), but the Macs made it count as they pulled away from the Cyclones late for an 18-4 victory, their seventh consecutive.
 
The Mighty Macs were the visitors in this game and scored runs in seven of their nine at bats, while every starter had a hit.  A few Mighty Macs had huge days at the plate as they churned out 17 hits.  Senior Matt Simon had a monster day as he went 4-for-6 with a double, two runs scored, a stolen base, and a career-high five RBIs.
 
Junior designated hitter Justin Dempsey (3 R, 2B, 4 RBI) and freshman catcher Tyler Kmiec (4 R, 2 RBI, 2 2B, 3B, SB, 2 BB) each had three hits apiece, and senior centerfielder Jason McCormick set a new single game record by scoring five runs while collecting two hits, a walk, and two hit by pitches as well.
 
On the mound, junior Tyler Sassaman got his first career conference start and earned the win as he allowed just one earned run (four total) over 5 1/3 innings pitched.  The bullpen of sophomore Brandon Shapiro, junior Collin Stringham, and freshman Greg Grandelli was outstanding as they went 3 2/3 innings of shutout ball, allowing just two hits and striking out six.
 
McCormick singled to lead off the game and made it to third after a wild pitch and sacrifice bunt, and Dempsey had a productive at bat with an RBI groundout to put the Macs up 1-0 after the top of the first.  In the second, IU tacked on another as freshman Chris Szekeres Jr. (1-for-6, R, RBI) singled with two outs and came all the way around to score on an RBI double to right field by junior second baseman Pat Devenney (1-for-5, 2B, RBI).
 
In the third, IU made it 3-0 as Simon hit an RBI single with one out to score Dempsey, who doubled to start the rally.
 
Sassaman made his way through the first two innings, but ran into trouble in the third as the Cyclones scored three, two-out runs to tie the game, however the Immaculata offense did not leave it tied for long.
 
In their half of the fourth, McCormick singled with one out, and scored on the next batter as Kmiec tripled to centerfield.  Kmiec then came home on an RBI single by Simon to make it 5-3 through three and a half.
 
Centenary got another in the bottom of the fourth, and the score would hold there until the sixth.  In the top of the sixth, McCormick and Kmiec caused problems again as they walked and doubled to put two runners in scoring position with nobody out.  Dempsey collected his second RBI groundout of the day, and Simon doubled to center to extend the lead to 7-4.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Sassaman allowed the first two runners to reach, and after a fly out, his day was over as IU went to the bullpen for Shapiro.  The sophomore reliever quickly delivered a 6-4-3 double play ball to end the threat with the Macs still in front by three.
 
It stayed 7-4 into the eighth inning when IU blew the game wide open with six in that inning, and five more in the ninth, while batting around in both.  The eighth was highlighted by an RBI double from Kmiec and back-to-back RBI singles by Dempsey and Simon.  In the ninth, IU got RBIs again from Simon and Dempsey while senior first baseman Ryan Tecco (1-for-4, R, RBI, BB) added one as well to put the game away.
 
Grandelli struck out the side in the ninth to polish off the seventh straight win.
 
The Macs will look to stay unbeaten in CSAC play when they open a series at Cabrini on Friday, followed by the doubleheader at IU on Saturday.