READING, Pa. - The Immaculata University baseball team extended its current win streak to five with a 7-4 victory at Penn State Berks Tuesday afternoon in the first game of this week's home-and-home series with the Nittany Lions behind a strong start on the mound from senior Zach Smiley - who picked up his third win of the season in his second start while lowering his team-leading earned run average to 2.14. Smiley alllowed one run on five hits in his five innings of work, while fellow seniors Connor Blesi and Tom Prato backed him at the plate as Blesi homered for the third time this season with a solo shot in the sixth while Prato turned in a three-hit day including a run-scoring double in the first.

With today's non-conference victory, the Mighty Macs have now won nine of their last 11 games.

HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Macs were quick to get on the board in the top of the first when Tyler Kmiec was hit by a pitch and came around score on Prato's double to left-center. Kmiec originally was held at third, but an errant throw from the left fielder allowed the Mighty Mac designated hitter to come home.
-Of his five innings of work on the afternoon, Smiley held the Nittany Lions off the board for four of them with the lone blemish coming in the third on a two-out, run-scoring single to knot the game at one. However, Domenic Dellabarba put Smiley back in line for the the win in the top of the fourth with an RBI single to center to score Richard Fontanillas, who lined a one-out single to left earlier in the frame.
-The Macs tacked on another run in the fifth via Prato's two-out, run-scoring single to right-center before Blesi lifted a leadoff homer to left-center in the top of the sixth to make it a three-run game.
-Chris Huyette came on in relief in the sixth and retired the first six batters he faced to maintain the 4-1 IU lead. Zach Van Meter and Kmiec added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth via sacrifice flies to put the Macs out ahead by five late.
-Dellabarba's two-out RBI knock in the top of the ninth proved to be a critical insurance run for the Macs heading into the home half, as Penn State Berks struck for two runs and had the tying run at first with two outs, but Greg Grandelli was able to leave the bases loaded to secure the 7-4 road victory, earning his second save in as many days along the way.

IU LEADERS AT THE PLATE
-Blesi: 2-2, 2B, Solo HR (3)
-Prato: 3-5, 2B, RBI
-Dellabarba: 2-3, 2 RBI, R

IU LEADERS ON THE MOUND
-Smiley: W (3-0), 5H, R, 5K
-Grandelli: SV (2)

UP NEXT
Immaculata (19-11) takes on Penn State Berks again tomorrow at home with first pitch scheduled for 3:30 p.m.