Box Score

FORT PIERCE, Fla.- The Immaculata baseball team bounced back from an early season three-game losing skid by defeating Hilbert College (2-4) by a score of 9-4 on Thursday.  The Macs (2-3) got an outstanding effort from junior Eddie Decker on the mound while senior centerfielder Jason McCormick and junior third baseman Justin Dempsey had three hits apiece.
 
McCormick (2 RBI, 2 R, 3B, 2B) and Dempsey (3 RBI, R, 3 2B) paced the offense for IU as they took advantage of Decker's great outing.  The Macs also stole eight bases on the day.
 
Decker went six shutout innings while allowing just three hits, one walk, and striking out five.
 
The Mighty Macs scored in the first inning for the third time in five games as they staked Decker to an early 3-0 lead as the first three hitters reached and scored.  McCormick tripled to left and scored quickly as freshman catcher Tyler Kmiec (2 R, RBI, 3 SB, BB) reached on an error.  He then moved to second when senior designated hitter Ryan Ficca (1-for-1, 2 R, 2 SB, 3 BB) walked, and both came around to score on a two-run double by Dempsey.
 
Decker was perfect through the first two innings with two strikeouts, and the Macs tacked on two more in the second inning with two outs.  McCormick was hit by a pitch and after Kmiec walked, Ficca reached on a bunt single, and the Macs used some creative base running and forced a pair of errors by Hilbert to take a 5-0 lead.
 
Decker worked around a single in the third, and got some help from his defense in the fourth when senior right fielder Dom Ficca threw a runner out between second a third to keep IU in front 5-0.
 
Dempsey brought home another run with an RBI double in the fourth, and after a 1-2-3 inning for Decker in the fifth, the Macs added two more on a two-run double to left by McCormick to make it 8-0.
 
Decker used a double play ball in the sixth to keep the shutout intact and end his six shutout innings.
 
Hilbert got on the board with four runs in two innings against freshman Timmy Newell in his first career appearance, but an RBI fielder's choice by sophomore Tom Prato scored Dempsey to put the Macs in front 9-4 heading to the final inning of play.
 
Sophomore Brandon Shapiro pitched a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts to close out the win.
 
The Macs will play a JV game on Friday against Northwestern (MN) before a doubleheader on Saturday against Geneva to wrap up their trip.