WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Mighty Macs eliminated a familiar foe in the Atlantic East Conference baseball Tournament. They defeated Cabrini 13-6, moving onto the AEC Championship game tomorrow versus Marymount.  
 
Cabrini got off to an early lead, starting off the game with a four-run first inning, highlighted by a bases-loaded triple.
 
The Mighty Macs responded in the bottom of the second when Joey Wright reached base on a one-out walk. Two batters later, Frank Margiotta singled into right field, moving Wright to second. Steven Theisen then slapped a two-RBI double into right field to get the Mighty Macs onto the board.
 
In the top of the third, the Cavaliers responded by loading the bases with zero outs on the board. Ryan Crowell managed to work his way out of the inning allowing only one run as the Cavaliers increased their lead to 5-2.
 
Isaiah Payton and Margiotta both reached base on walks in the bottom of the fourth inning. With two outs. Greg Dahl slammed a game-tying home run deep into center field as the Mighty Macs tied it up at 5-5.
 
The Mighty Macs took a demanding lead in the bottom of the fifth. First, Tyler Kmiec reached base on a lead-off walk. Josh Crowding then stepped to plate and hit his team-leading seventh home run of the year to give the Mighty Macs the lead.
 
Wright then extended the inning on a one-out walk before Payton hit a double into left field, moving Wright to third. Margiotta was then walked to load the bases for Theisen. Theisen grounded out to second base, scoring Wright and moving the runners up the base path. With both runners in scoring position, Dahl hit a two-RBI single into center field, giving the Mighty Macs a 10-5 lead over the Cavaliers.
 
The Mighty Macs increased their lead in the bottom of the sixth. Kmiec kicked off the inning by getting hit by a pitch before stealing second base. Crowding then singled into center field, moving Kmiec to third. After Fontanillas was hit by a pitch, the Cavaliers recorded two outs before walking Margiotta with the bases loaded, scoring Kmiec. Theisen then closed out the inning with a two-RBI single into center field, scoring Fontanillas and Crowding to give the Mighty Macs a 13-5 lead.
 
Cabrini scored one run in the top of the seventh before being shut out in the eighth and ninth innings as the Mighty Macs took the 13-6 victory.
 
Ryan Crowell persevered through a rocky first inning to pitch eight solid innings for the Mighty Macs. He allowed six runs on the day on eight hits and three walks. Crowell and first game starter Ray Lutick combined to throw 17 out of 18 innings for the Mighty Macs today.
 
"It was huge," said head coach Kevin Schneider. "This two-game elimination tournament is about pitching depth so to have those guys throw 17 innings was absolutely fantastic. It allows us to go into tomorrow with a rested bullpen and some starters that we think will do a good job. To say they were huge is an understatement, it was tremendous stuff from both of them and it took a lot of guts and heart"
 
Greg Dahl earned five RBI on the game for the Mighty Macs. He went 3-for-5 overall with a home run on the day. Crowding, meanwhile, had a home run of himself, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored, two RBI, and one walk.
 
Defensively, Isaiah Payton made two diving plays in center field, cutting off Cabrini early. Payton also contributed offensively, going 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored.
 
The Mighty Macs will compete against the #1 seed Marymount Saints tomorrow in the Atlantic East Championship. Immaculata will need to defeat Marymount twice to claim the conference title while Marymount only needs one victory to clinch.
 
"I expect it to be a tough day," said Schneider. "They're a good team, but we've been in this position before. We can't think about winning two games, we have to focus on winning one. Mason Keller will start game one tomorrow, we like our chances with him keeping us in the game early. The last day of a championship tournament, anything can happen. It comes down to mentality and toughness and we've shown a lot of that all year, and if we just be ourselves and play our game, I think we'll have a great chance to take the day."
 
Game one tomorrow is scheduled to begin on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. while game two is currently scheduled for 5:30 p.m.