FORT PIERCE, Fla. - The Immaculata University baseball team returned to action for the first time in 11 days Monday afternoon to begin its week-long slate at the Florida Coast Spring Training, dropping both ends of a doubleheader to Kenyon College, 9-8 and 10-2. The Mighty Macs plated six runs in the first two innings of Monday's opener, but the Lords battled back to take the lead in the bottom of the sixth before cutting down the potential tying run at the plate in the next half inning to take game one, 9-8. 

Kenyon (8-3) jumped out to an early lead in the back end of Monday's doubleheader and held Immaculata to only three hits to complete the sweep.

GAME ONE
KENYON 9, IMMACULATA 8

HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Macs were first on the board Monday morning after Tyler Kmiec lined an opposite-field single and stole second before coming around to score on a base knock off the bat of Tom Prato. Billy Manzo stranded a runner in scoring position in the home half of the inning with a strikeout to keep the Lords from drawing even.
-Immaculata exploded for five runs on three hits and four walks in the second frame to jump out to a six-run advantage. Connor Blesi and Corey Pezak led off with back-to-back singles before Kyle Hannon reached on an error that allowed both Blesi and Pezak to score. Consecutive walks followed to load the bases with one out, and Prato and Cameron Delisle were issued back-to-back free passes to extend the lead to five. With the bases still loaded with one away, Stephen Trendler capped off the frame with a single through the right side to score Kmiec.
-Kenyon responded right back with a crooked number of its own, striking for six runs in the bottom of the second to draw even with the Macs at six.
-The Lords broke through for their first lead of the day with a run on a wild pitch in the home half of third, before tacking on another in the fourth on a run-scoring double to go up 8-6.
-Singles from Blesi and Pezak to start off the top of the fifth put runners on the corners with no outs, allowing Hannon to drop down a safety squeeze to plate Blesi and get the Macs within one. Following a Joey Sacco sacrifice to move both runners into scoring position with one out, Kmiec greeted the Kenyon reliever with a fly ball to right - deep enough to score Pezak from third - tying the game at eight.
-Kenyon's Patrick O'Leary led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run to break the tie. Down to their final three outs, the Macs mounted a rally in the top of the seventh when Pezak was hit by a pitch and moved into scoring position by Hannon via a sacrifice bunt. IU turned to Greg Dahl off the bench to run for Pezak and was moved up to third following an interference call. With the tying run 90 feet away and only one out, Sacco lifted a fly ball to right and Dahl tagged from third but was thrown out at the plate to end the game.

IU LEADERS AT THE PLATE
-Delisle: 2-2, RBI, BB
-Blesi: 2-4, 2R
-Pezak: 2-3, 2R

IU LEADERS ON THE MOUND
DeSantis: 1.1 IP, 3H, 1ER
Huyette: 2 IP, 2H, 1ER, K

GAME TWO
KENYON 10, IMMACULATA 2

HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Macs surrendered a home run in the top of the first to get the scoring started in Monday's back end of the doubleheader, but IU answered right back with a run of its own in the home half. Sacco lined a single through the right side and moved up to third on a double off the bat of Kmiec, allowing Richard Fontanillas to bring home the Mighty Mac second baseman with a sac fly to left.
-Kenyon was able to take control of the game with two runs in each of the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings while limiting the Macs to just one hit from the second inning on. IU plated its second run of the game courtesy of a Delisle sac fly to left to score Fontanillas.

IU LEADERS AT THE PLATE
-Sacco: 1-3, R, BB
-Kmiec: 1-4, 2B

IU LEADERS ON THE MOUND
-Lambert: 1.1 IP, 3H, 2R, K

UP NEXT
Immaculata (2-3) takes on Western Connecticut State Tuesday morning at 10 a.m.