Box Score

MOOSIC, Pa.- After winning the first game of the day to force a winner-take-all Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) title game, the No. 2 Immaculata baseball team raced out to a 5-1 lead through six and a half innings against No. 1 Keystone, but the Giants put up five runs in the bottom of the seventh, and the Macs (26-12) were unable to come back in a tough 6-5 defeat that ended their 2017 season.
 
Sophomore Billy Manzo got his first start of the season and was great on the mound through six-plus innings to give IU a chance. 
 
After getting a walk from senior designated hitter Howie Kalamets (2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, HBP) in the first, but nothing else, Manzo picked off a runner who reached on an error, and freshman catcher Tyler Kmiec made an off-balance catch in foul territory to send the game to the second tied at 0-0.
 
In the top of the second, the Macs got on the board to take the early lead.  With two outs, senior right fielder Dom Ficca (1-for-3, R, BB) walked and moved to second on a balk, and senior shortstop Ryan Ficca (1-for-3, RBI, BB) followed with an RBI single up the middle to stake the Macs to the early advantage.
 
The score held into the top of the third when senior centerfielder Jason McCormick (1-for-5, R, 3B) tripled to left-center and scored immediately on an RBI groundout by Kalamets to put the Macs up 2-0.
 
The Giants got on the board in the bottom of the third as they put runners on the corners with two outs, and sacrificed the runner at first base in a run down to allow the runner from third to score and make it 2-1 through three innings.
 
In the top of the fifth, the Macs had a two-out rally to extend their lead.  After the first two hitters were retired, Kalamets singled up the middle and senior first baseman Ryan Tecco (2-for-5, R) lined a single to center.  Junior third baseman Justin Dempsey (1-for-4, 2 RBI) then grounded a single through the left side to make it 3-1 as Kalamets came around to score.  Back-to-back walks to senior left fielder Matt Simon and Kmiec (BB, RBI) made it 4-1 midway through the fifth.
 
Manzo allowed a two-out single in the bottom of the frame, but he jumped off the mound to bare hand a dribbler and throw out the next hitter at first to keep IU up by three.
 
After going down in order in the sixth, Manzo set the Giants down 1-2-3 including another nice play on a bunt by Manzo to send the game to the seventh holding the 4-1 advantage.
 
In the seventh, IU added a critical insurance run when Kalamets singled to left, moved to second on a groundout, and to third on a wild pitch.  Dempsey then picked up his second RBI of the day with a fielder's choice that Kalamets beat home and the Macs now led 5-1.
 
Manzo ran into some trouble in the seventh, as the Giants stormed back with five runs and took the lead against Manzo, sophomore Zach Smiley, and junior Eddie Decker.  Manzo was outstanding over a career-best six innings while allowing four runs, five hits, and one walk.  Smiley surrendered two unearned runs to send the game to the eighth with the Giants leading 6-5.
 
After a scoreless eighth, the Macs had their last chance in the ninth and put together a rally.  Tecco singled to right field with one out, and pinch runner Vinny Carlesi moved to second after pinch hitter Tom Prato was hit by a pitch.  Both runners moved into scoring position with a deep flyout by Simon, but the game would end on a flyout to left by Kmiec, ending the 2017 season.
 
This Mighty Mac team set the school record for wins in a season with 26 and made it further than any team previously in school history.