IMMACULATA, Pa. – Two Macs hit grand slams as the Immaculata baseball team took down Gwynedd Mercy in both halves of its doubleheader on Saturday. The Macs now improve to a 10-4 record overall on the season as they open up Atlantic East Conference play with a 2-0 conference record.
The Griffins broke the ice quickly, hitting a solo home run in the second at bat of the game. They added one additional run on the inning as the Griffins owned a 2-0 lead over the Macs after the top of the first.
In the bottom of the third,
Joey Sacco reached on a double with two outs before getting batted in on a double into center field from
Joey Wright. After a walk from
Josh Crowding,
Louis Sharp hit an RBI-single into left field, scoring Wright.
Isaiah Payton then worked a walk to load the bases before
Jason Smiley reached base on a hit-by-pitch, scoring Crowding.
Hunter Hall then rounded out the inning for the Macs, ripping a grand slam into straightaway center field to give the Macs a 7-2 lead over the Griffins.
The Macs then looked to extend their lead in the bottom of the sixth. After
Frank Margiotta and Sacco reached base on back-to-back singles, Wright and Crowding batted the pair in on back-to-back singles.
Louis Sharp then loaded the bases for the Macs before
Isaiah Payton hit the Macs' second grand slam of the game, giving the Macs a 13-2 lead.
A solo home run in the top of the seventh would be the only production for the Griffins in the final frame as the Macs took game one 13-3.
Mason Keller earned the victory on the mound for the Macs, throwing six innings of two-run baseball, allowing five hits and one walk while striking out eight batters.
Payton and Hall each hit grand slams for the Mighty Macs, going 1-for-3 and 1-for-4 on the game, respectively.
Louis Sharp, meanwhile, went 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored and one RBI.
After two scoreless frames, the Macs got on the board in the bottom of the third.
Steven Theisen hit a double into center field with one out.
Frank Margiotta then batted in Theisen on a single into right-center field. Theisen then scored on a double from Wright deep into center field. Next up to the plate, Crowding hit a single into the right-center field gap, scoring Wright to give the Macs a 3-0 lead.
Margiotta led off the bottom of the fifth for the Macs. Later, with two outs, Crowding batted Margiotta in on a single into left field. After advancing to second on a bunt single from
Jason Smiley, Margiotta scored on a single down the right field line from
Louis Sharp, increasing the Macs' lead over the Griffins.
The Macs then further increased their lead in the bottom of the sixth. Margiotta reached base on a single before advancing to third on a double from Sacco. Sacco and Margiotta then executed a double steal, with Margiotta stealing home. After a walk from Wright, Crowding hit a single into right-center field, increasing the Macs' lead to 7-0.
The Griffins scored one run in the top of the eighth before the Macs stepped up in the bottom half of the inning. Margiotta and Sacco recorded back-to-back walks to start the inning. Then, Wright stepped up to the and slapped a three-run homer into left field. The Macs kept hitting, however, as walks from Crowding and Payton and a single from Smiley re-loaded the bases. The Macs then scored runs on two straight sacrifice flies from Hall and
Joe Esposito, sealing the deal on a 12-1 victory over the Griffins.
Jason Hughes earned his second win of the season for the Macs, pitching seven shutout innings while striking out 10 Griffins batters.
Frank Margiotta went 3-for-4 at the plate with a walk, scoring four runs and adding on an RBI for the Macs.
Joey Wright, meanwhile, recorded four RBI, going 2-for-4 with a double and a home run.
Josh Crowding also chipped in with three hits, three RBI, and one run scored on the game.
The Macs will now travel to Gwynedd Valley for game three of their series against the Griffins on Sunday at 2:00 P.M.
