IMMACULATA, Pa.- The Immaculata baseball team opened its 2021 season at home on Sunday afternoon with a doubleheader against Penn State-Abington. Immaculata dropped the first game of the doubleheader 12-6 due to a nine-run second inning from Penn State before storming back to take game two by a final of 15-3 to register a split with the Nittany Lions.

Game One: Penn State-Abington 12 Immaculata 6

In the top of the first inning, Penn State-Abington struck first after getting runners on first and second to open the inning. With one out in the inning, Penn State-Abington executed a successful steal of third, which combined with an errant throw enabled the Nittany Lions to strike first and claim a 1-0 lead. Penn State threatened for more with a runner on second and just one out but Wagner retired the next two batters in short order to head to the home half of the first trailing 1-0.

In the top of the second, Penn State added to its lead after getting runners on first and second with just one out for the second inning in a row. PSU-Abington added its second run of the contest courtesy of an RBI double, which was laced down the left field line to stretch its lead to 2-0 while also placing runners on second and third with one away in the inning. Penn State-Abington would add three more runs to stretch its lead to 5-0. This would close the book on Immaculata starting pitcher Trevor Wagner (0-1) who tossed 1.2 registering five strikeouts while surrendering seven runs (six earned) along with five hits and three walks before being relieved by freshman Alex Singer. Penn State-Abington ended its second inning with nine runs to stretch its lead to 10-0 heading to the bottom of the second inning of play.

In the home half of the second, Richard Fontanillas connected for his first home run of the season to left-center field to give the Macs their first run of the contest. Joey Wright followed this up with a hard-hit single up the middle to allow the Macs to continue to threaten. The Nittany Lions would work out of the danger to preserve a 10-1 lead heading to the third inning.

Singer tossed 3.0 innings in relief surrendering three unearned runs while scattering five hits over the course of his three innings of work before being relieved by junior Ray Lutick.

In the home half of the fifth, Isaiah Payton connected for the Macs second home run of the contest with a deep drive to left field on a 3-0 pitch, which trimmed the deficit to 10-2. Wright followed this up with a double down the right field line, which would enable him to score later in the inning on an RBI groundout from Frank Margiotta.
In the sixth, Immaculata further cut the deficit as an RBI double to left center from Wright plated  Fontanillas to make the score 10-4. Wright would come into score later in the inning on an error by the shortstop after advancing to third on a wild pitch.

Immaculata continued its comeback bid in the home half of the eighth as Josh Crowding started the inning with a towering home run over the left field fence to make the score 10-6 heading to the ninth.

In the top of the ninth, Penn State-Abington added two more runs via a home run to left field, which closed the book on Lutick who had entered in relief of Singer.

Lutick tossed 3.1 innings scattering just two runs and two hits with one strikeout before being relieved by Max Cannon. Cannon entered and got the final three outs of the contest using just 12 pitches, which sent the game to the home half of the ninth with Immaculata trailing 12-6.

In the home half of the ninth, Immaculata threatened to battle back, but Penn State-Abington was able to halt the Macs rally and earn the 12-6 game one victory.

For Penn State Abington, Jaden Himmelrich (1-0) earned the victory tossing five innings surrendering three runs on six hits while striking out four to earn his first victory of the season.

Game Two: Immaculata 15 Penn State-Abington 3

To open game two, Immaculata loaded the bases in its half of the inning with just one out but Penn State-Abington rolled a double play to tightrope out of danger and send the game scoreless to the second inning.

In the home half of the second, Frank Margiotta came through with his first RBI as a Mighty Mac, an RBI double to center, which plated RJ Mason who reached via a hit by pitch and stolen second earlier in the inning.

Immaculata added to its lead in the third inning with an RBI single from Crowding, which plated Kmiec who had reached via a walk and advanced to second on a balk earlier in the inning. With Crowding on second base, Fontanillas placed a perfect sacrifice bunt down the third base line, which moved Crowding over to third base with one out in the inning. Crowding came around to score on a fielders choice by RJ Mason, which extended the lead to 3-0. Immaculata followed this up with a successful double steal including a steal of home by Joey Wright, which gave the Macs a 4-0 lead heading to the fourth inning of play.

In the fourth, Immaculata further extended its lead following an RBI double from Joey Sacco, which scored Margiotta. Sacco advanced to third on the throw to the plate, which enabled him to score on a Payton walk later in the inning, which further extended the Macs lead to 6-0.

In the top of the fifth, Penn State started the inning off with a double into the left-center field gap, which would later help the Nittany Lions scored one of their two runs in the inning as Penn State trimmed the Immaculata lead to 6-2 heading to the bottom of the fifth.

Immaculata re-extended its lead in the home half of the fifth as Tyler Kmiec laced a double into left field, which scored both Giancarlo Palmieri and Margiotta to give the Macs back a six-run lead making the score 8-2 in favor of the Macs.

In the sixth inning, PSU-Abington responded with another run to make the score 8-3 heading to the home half of the sixth. Immaculata threated in the home half but failed to push anyone across to send the game to the seventh with the score locked at 8-3 in favor of the Macs.

In the bottom of the seventh, Immaculata further stretched its lead following a sac fly by Sacco, which scored Margiotta before Richard Fontanillas laced a single through the left side to score Tyler Kmiec and give the Macs a commanding 10-3 lead. Isaiah Payton registered an RBI double down the left field line, which plated Josh Crowding to extend the Macs lead to 11-3.

In the bottom of the eighth, Immaculata extended its lead with another RBI double from Sacco to score Louis Sharp who had reached via a walk earlier in the inning. Immaculata stretched the lead to 13-3 following a sac fly from Crowding, which scored Margiotta for his fourth run of the game. Fontanillas would drive home Sacco with an RBI double of his own to stretch the lead to 14-3. The lead ballooned to 15-3 following a sac fly off the bat of Ray Spraggins to score Kmiec. The Macs would go on to win by this score as the game was called after the eighth inning due to darkness.

Mason Keller earned the start for Immaculata and pitched well going 5.0 innings scattering just four hits and a pair of runs while striking out eight to earn his first victory of the spring.

Chris Huyette entered in relief of Keller and tossed the sixth inning surrendering one run on one hit before exiting in favor of Ryan Crowell who entered for the seventh inning and tossed a scoreless 19-pitch inning surrendering just one walk over the course of his inning. Greg Grandelli entered in relief for the eighth inning and tossed an 11-pitch gem striking out a pair to send the game to the home half of the eighth.

Immaculata will be back in action on Wednesday afternoon at home vs Cairn with that contest set to begin at 3 p.m.