Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

IMMACULATA, Pa.- The Immaculata baseball team continued their torrid start to the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) season as they swept newcomer Cabrini (7-8, 1-4 CSAC) by scores of 6-1 and 6-3 to move to 5-0 in CSAC play and 10-3 overall.  The Macs have now won nine consecutive games and are a perfect 6-0 playing on their home field.
 
The Mighty Mac pitchers carried the day as junior Trevor O'Brien, junior Ryan Blough, and senior Kyle Bacher combined for 22 strikeouts over 14 innings and allowed just three earned runs.
 
O'Brien twirled a one-hit gem in his first career complete game and tied a program-record with 11 strikeouts to lead IU to the first game victory.  Blough allowed two earned runs over six innings and struck out 10 for his third win of the season.
 
Offensively, junior third baseman Justin Dempsey had the best opener as he went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, his second career home run, and two RBIs.  Senior centerfielder Jason McCormick also had two hits, including a triple, a walk, and two stolen bases.
 
O'Brien ran into his only trouble in the first inning as he walked the first hitter of the game, who stole second, and scored on a two-out single to make it 1-0 Cavaliers.  It turned out to be the only Cavalier hit in the game.
 
The Macs wasted no time getting the lead as they put up three first inning runs.  Freshman catcher Tyler Kmiec (R, RBI, BB) walked with one out, and was followed by another walk from senior shortstop Ryan Ficca (1-for-2, 2 R, 2 SB, BB, HBP).  Dempsey then delivered his first RBI hit of the day with a single through the left side to tie the game, and both runners moved into scoring position on the throw.
 
Ryan Ficca then pulled off a straight steal of home to give IU the lead, and senior catcher Ryan Tecco (1-for-3, RBI, 2B) doubled home Dempsey to put the Macs on top 3-1 after one.
 
O'Brien went into cruise control as he retired nine consecutive Cavaliers, including five straight strikeouts between the third and fourth innings.
 
The Macs tacked onto their lead on an RBI single up the middle by freshman designated hitter Chris Szekeres Jr. (1-for-3, RBI) and led 4-1 through three.  They put the game away in the fourth as McCormick led off with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Kmiec, and two batters later, Kmiec hit his first home run of the season to left field to make it 6-1.
 
O'Brien took care of the rest from there as he retired the side in order in the fifth and seventh innings, and Kmiec threw out a would-be base stealer in the sixth to keep the Cabrini offense at bay.
 
In the second game, Tecco had a pair of hits, and McCormick had his second straight two-hit game.  Blough punched out 10 over six innings, and got out of a couple tight spots with a strikeout.
 
Senior designated hitter Howie Kalamets (1-for-1, R, 2B, BB) returned from an injury and doubled in the first and came around to score on an RBI single by Dempsey (1-for-2, RBI, HBP) to put the Macs in front 1-0.
 
Cabrini tied the game in the second, but the Macs had Kmiec (1-for-2, 2 R, HBP, 2 SB) reach on an error and scored immediately on a double to left-center by senior right fielder Dom Ficca (1-for-2, RBI, 2B) to put IU back in front 2-1.
 
Cabrini took advantage of a defensive miscue by the Macs to tie the game in the third and the score held at 2-2 to the bottom of the fourth when IU took the lead for good.  Kmiec was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a bunt, and to third on a single to right field by junior second baseman Pat Devenney (1-for-3, R).  The two then executed a double steal to perfection to put the Macs in front, and sophomore pinch hitter Tom Prato delivered an RBI double to left field to score Devenney and make it 4-2.
 
The Macs tacked on a critical insurance run in the fifth on an RBI double to left-center field by Tecco to score freshman pinch runner Vinny Carlesi.
 
Blough went back to work in the sixth with a 5-2 lead, but Cabrini scored once and had the tying run in scoring position with two outs when Blough got a big swinging strikeout to end the threat with a 5-3 lead.
 
McCormick put the Macs back in front by three when he doubled down the left field line, moved to third on a bunt and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Ficca (RBI, 2 HBP).
 
Senior Kyle Bacher worked around a one-out walk in the seventh to earn his fourth save of the season.
 
The series will conclude tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. at Immaculata where the Cavaliers will serve as the home team.