IMMACULATA, Pa. – The Mighty Macs baseball team wrapped up their series sweep against Neuman today with two doubleheader victories. The Mighty Macs won game one 5-2 and game two 8-4.
With two outs in the bottom of the first inning, Josh Crowding reached base on a walk. The next two batters, Richard Fontanillas and Joey Wright also reached on a hit-by-pitch and a walk, respectively. Isaiah Payton then smacked a pitch to the warning track, resulting in a three-RBI double to give Immaculata a 3-0 lead.
Neumann attempted to rally in the top of the third, getting runners on first and second base with two outs but left the runners stranded on the inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Mighty Macs returned to the plate. Tyler Kmiec led off the fifth with a walk, advancing to second base on a passed ball. Crowding then hit a single up the middle, scoring Kmiec to extend the Mighty Macs' lead. After a bunt from Fontanillas moved Crowding to third, Wright hit an RBI-single, scoring Crowding and giving the Mighty Macs a 5-0 lead.
Starting pitcher Mason Keller kept the Knights' bats off-balance all day. After facing trouble in the top of the seventh, the Mighty Macs turned to Greg Grandelli to finish the game. Grandelli struck out three batters in the inning as the Knights scored two runs, with the game ending with a 5-2 Mighty Macs' victory.
Isaiah Payton went 1-for-3 for the Mighty Macs during game one, earning three RBI on a bases-clearing double. Joey Wright also reached base three times, going 2-for-2 with a walk, one run scored, and one RBI.
Mason Keller threw six frames of shutout baseball for the Mighty Macs. His two runs allowed came in the seventh inning as allowed two runs on six hits and five strikeouts as he earned his fourth win of the season.
Joe Sacco kicked off game two for the Mighty Macs with a lead-off single in the bottom of the first inning. Kmiec then reached on a walk. Sacco and Kmiec would then advance to third and second, respectively, on a sacrifice bunt from Crowding. Fontanillas followed up the bunt with a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Sacco and moving Kmiec to third base. Wright then scored Kmiec on an RBI-single up the middle, giving the Mighty Macs a 2-0 lead.
After a quick three-and-out in the top of the second, the Mighty Macs extended their lead in the bottom of the second. Steven Theisen started off the inning with a lead-off walk. Then, with one out, Frank Margiotta ripped a single, moving Theisen into scoring position at third. With runners on the corners, Sacco singled up the middle, scoring Theisen. Kmiec then hit a double into left-center field, scoring Margiotta and Sacco. Crowding would then follow up Kmiec's double with one of his own, scoring Kmiec to wrap up the Mighty Macs' four-run inning.
In the top of the fourth inning, Neumann got on the board, scoring three runs in the inning to cut Immaculata's lead to 6-3.
Greg Dahl reached base on a lead-off single to start the bottom of the sixth for the Mighty Macs. Dahl would then reach third base following a sacrifice bunt and a passed ball. Sacco and Kmiec then walked in consecutive plate appearances to load the bases for Immaculata. Crowding then hit a sacrifice fly into center field, scoring Dahl. Fontantillas then doubled down the left field line, scoring Sacco to give the Mighty Macs the 8-3 advantage.
Neumann scored one run in the top of the seventh, cutting Immaculata's lead to 8-4.
The Knights went down one-two-three in the top of the ninth as the Mighty Macs secured the series sweep with an 8-4 victory.
Joe Sacco went 3-for-4 in game two for Immaculata. He scored three runs and recorded an RBI while walking once.
The Mighty Macs will return to action on Friday, April 16th, as they host Marywood at 3:00 P.M. for the start of their weekend series.
