Box Score

IMMACULATA, Pa.- The Immaculata baseball team (22-9) opened a crucial three-game series against Keystone (27-11) this afternoon with the winner of the series earning the number one seed, and the Giants took control of the game and never looked back as IU dropped to 15-4 in the CSAC with a 6-2 loss.
 
Junior Trevor O'Brien (5-2) took the loss on the mound as he battled through 4 2/3 innings.
 
The Giants threatened immediately as they loaded the bases with nobody out, but O'Brien got a pair of huge strikeouts before hitting a batter to force in a run.  He retired the next hitter on strikes to limit the damage and send the game to the bottom of the first with the Macs trailing just 1-0.
 
IU had its first threat in the second when senior third baseman Justin Dempsey (1-for-4, RBI) reached on an error and senior first baseman Ryan Tecco (1-for-4) got the first hit of the day with a single to left, but IU was kept off the board as a strikeout ended the inning.
 
Still at 1-0 in the top of the third, the Giants had two runners on base with one out and O'Brien again went to the strikeout as he picked up two of them to keep the score at 1-0.
 
The Mighty Macs offense pushed a few runs across in their half of the third as senior centerfielder Jason McCormick (1-for-3, R, HBP, 2 SB) singled with one out, stole second, and scored on an RBI double down the right field line by senior designated hitter Howie Kalamets (2-for-4, R, RBI, 2B) to tie the game.  Two batters later, Dempsey lined a single up the middle to give the Macs a 2-1 advantage.
 
O'Brien got into a little trouble in the top of the fourth as two runners were in scoring position again with nobody out, but a groundout and strikeout nearly allowed him to escape without any damage, however a passed ball scored an unearned run to tie the game at 2-2 through four innings.
 
The Giants re-took the lead in the fifth and chased O'Brien with two runs, and sophomore Billy Manzo came in to get the final out, but the Macs were trailing 4-2.  O'Brien went 4 2/3 innings and allowed five hits, four runs, three earned, while striking out eight.
 
IU tried to bounce back right away as McCormick singled, stole second and moved to third on a single by Kalamets, but a double play ended the inning with Keystone leading 4-2 through five.
 
The Giants added two more in the seventh against Manzo to make it 6-2 and that was the end of the day for Manzo who went 2 1/3 innings and struck out four while allowing two unearned runs.
 
Freshman Greg Grandelli pitched two shutout innings in relief, but the Mighty Macs were unable to take advantage and fell 6-2.
 
The two teams will now go to Keystone on Saturday for a noon doubleheader.