Box Score
FORT PIERCE, Fla.- The Immaculata baseball team (1-0) opened their 2017 season on Sunday afternoon at Florida Coast Spring Training with an impressive offensive showing as they pounded out 16 hits and scored 15 runs over their final five at bats en route to defeating the Monmouth College Scots (1-1) by a score of 16-9. The game was tied 8-8 through six innings, but the Macs pulled away late as they earned their first win of the season.
Every Mighty Mac had a hit on the day and six of them had two hit games, led by senior centerfielder
Jason McCormick who had four RBIs, a double, two stolen bases, and the third home run of his career. Senior first baseman
Ryan Tecco had three RBIs and a double, while junior second baseman
Pat Devenney had two RBIs and two runs scored. Senior shortstop
Ryan Ficca (R, RBI, 2B), senior designated hitter
Matt Simon (RBI, R, 2B, HBP), and freshman catcher
Tyler Kmiec (3 R, 2B, BB) all contributed with two hits apiece as well.
Sophomore
Brandon Shapiro earned the first win of his career in relief, and senior
Kyle Bacher worked four outs for the second save of his career.
The Macs got the scoring started in the first inning as McCormick was hit by a pitch and stole second before coming around to score on an RBI single to centerfield by Tecco. The Mighty Mac offense would go silent for the next three innings as they managed just two baserunners.
On the other side, junior
Ryan Blough got the opening day start for IU and worked around a leadoff single in the first inning to maintain the 1-0 lead. The Scots got the best of Blough in the second as they scored quickly after a leadoff triple, and added two more on a two-out double to take a 3-1 lead.
Monmouth added another in the third on a solo home run to go up 4-1, and they threatened for more in the fourth when they loaded the bases with one out, but Blough got a strikeout and groundout to end the threat with IU trailing 4-1 through four innings. That would be it for Blough as well as he went four innings, allowing four runs and six hits while striking out eight.
After three scoreless innings, the IU offense batted around in the fifth to take their second lead of the game with five runs. Kmiec led off with a double for the first hit of his career, and two batters later McCormick was hit by a pitch to put two on with one out. Senior right fielder
Howie Kalamets (1-for-4, R, 2 RBI, 3B) stepped to the plate then and lined a two-run triple to left field, and then came around to score on a passed ball to tie the game, 4-4.
The Macs weren't done as they loaded the bases with two outs on two singles and a hit batter, and senior left fielder
Dom Ficca got a big knock with a two-run single to center to put the Macs back in front 6-4.
Sophomore
Billy Manzo came on in relief in the fifth and surrendered a run, but the Macs led 6-5 through five.
In the top of the sixth, McCormick hit the first home run of the season for IU, a two-run shot to score Kmiec who led off with a single, to extend the lead to 8-5.
Manzo started the sixth, but after the first two runners reached, Shapiro came on in relief, however the Scots were able to tie the game with three more at 8-8 heading to the seventh.
In the seventh, junior third baseman
Justin Dempsey (1-for-4, 2 R, HBP, 3B) hit a triple to center and Simon brought him home with a sacrifice fly to put the Macs in the lead for good, 9-8.
After Shapiro held the lead in the seventh, the Macs added three crucial insurance runs on a two-run double by McCormick and an RBI double by
Ryan Ficca to balloon the lead to 12-8. The Scots did not go quietly as they scored an unearned run against senior
Kenny Anderson Jr., and loaded the bases with two outs, but Bacher came in to get the critical strikeout to keep the Macs in front, 12-9.
In the ninth, Devenney hit a two-run single and Tecco delivered a two-run double to give IU some breathing room at 16-9, and Bacher closed the door on the season opening victory.
The Macs will be in action again on Monday morning at 10 a.m. against Penn State-Behrend.
