ASTON, Pa. - Freshman Corey Pezak launched a fifth-inning grand slam for the first home run of his career to break a 3-3 tie Wednesday afternoon at Neumann to lift the Immaculata University baseball team to its third-straight Atlantic East Conference victory, a 9-6 final over the Knights. Kyle Hannon also hit his first career home run with a two-run shot in the second to spark the Mighty Mac offense en route to the season series split.

Greg Grandelli tossed three and two-thirds innings of one-run ball in relief to pick up his fourth win of the season on the mound before handing the game over to Zach Smiley who closed out the win with the final six outs.

HOW IT HAPPENED
-Ryan Crowell took the ball for the Macs in its second-consecutive Wednesday afternoon matchup with the Knights and was effective early on, setting down the opposition in order in the top of the first before stranding a runner in scoring position in the second after allowing a leadoff single. The freshman retired the first two batters he faced in the third before being lifted from the game to be available out of the bullpen in the weekend series at Gwynedd Mercy.
-The Macs manufactured a run all with two outs in the bottom of the first, as Tom Prato lined a two-out single to right and moved up to second on a wild pitch. Cameron Delisle then plated the fellow senior with a knock to left to bring Prato around.
-Domenic Dellabarba ripped a one-out double in the bottom of the second to get things started in front of Kyle Hannon's two-run home run to left - the first of his career - to put the Macs out in front by three.
-Neumann struck back with three solo home runs in the top of the third to tie the game, but Greg Grandelli came on in relief to shut down the Neumann rally, allowing just one unearned run over three and two-thirds innings out of the bullpen, culminating in his fourth win of the season.
-Prato and Tyler Kmiec lined consecutive one-out singles through the left in the bottom of the fifth before Delisle drew a full count walk to load the bases for Corey Pezak. The freshman delivered in a big way, lifting a grand slam to left for his first collegiate homer, breaking the tie and extending the IU lead to four.
-Prato added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth with a two-out, two-run double to left, and although the Knights were able to bring the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth, Zach Smiley induced a game-ending ground out to third to clinch the 9-6 victory.

IU LEADERS AT THE PLATE
-Prato: 3-4, 2B, RBI, 2R
-Pezak: 2-4, GS (1) in 5th, 4 RBI
-Dellabarba: 3-4, 2 2B
-Hannon: 1-4, 2-R HR (1)

IU LEADERS ON THE MOUND
-Grandelli: W (4-1), 3.2 IP, 2H, 1R (0 ER), K
-Crowell: 2.2 IP, 2H, 0R, 2K

UP NEXT
Immaculata (13-10, 4-3 Atlantic East) travels to Gwynedd Mercy Saturday for a pivotal Atlantic East doubleheader scheduled for 1 p.m.