ASTON, Pa. – The Immaculata baseball team swept Neumann in their away doubleheader on Saturday, claiming game one 7-6 before taking game two 3-1.
Game one was scheduled to go seven innings but went into extra innings, concluding in the eighth inning. Therefore, game two also became a seven-inning contest.
Action kicked off in the top of the fourth in game one as the Mighty Macs sought to get on the board.
Joey Wright reached base on an error to lead off the inning, advancing to second on a wild pitch.
Josh Crowding then stepped up to the plate and hit a single up the middle, scoring Wright the break the ice.
Next inning, the Macs increased their lead, scoring five runs on the inning.
Jason Smiley led off the inning, hitting a single up the middle. Smiley eventually advanced to third on a wild pitch and stolen base.
Frank Margiotta then reached on a two-out walk, moving to second on a stolen base of his own.
Steven Theisen then hit a double down the left field line, batting in both runners for the Mighty Macs. Wright then followed Theisen up with a walk, putting a second runner back on base. Crowding then smoked the second double of the inning into right-center field, scoring Theisen and advancing Wright to third.
Louis Sharp then rounded out the inning's events for the Macs, hitting a two-RBI single into left-center as the Macs claimed a 6-0 lead.
Over the course of the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings, Neumann scored six runs, tying the contest up at 6-6 and forcing extra innings in the scheduled seven-inning contest.
With one out, Margiotta reached base on a single in the top of the eighth to put a baserunner on for the Mighty Macs. After advancing to second base on a passed ball, Margiotta scored from second on a single into left field by Wright, giving the Macs the 8-7 lead.
Relief pitcher
Trevor Wagner then closed the door on the Knights in game one, striking out the side in the bottom of the eighth to secure the victory for the Mighty Macs. Wagner earned the win on the game for the Macs, pitching 1.2 innings of one-run baseball, striking out three batters.
Theisen, Crowding, and Sharp combined for six RBI on the game for the Mighty Macs. Margiotta and Wright, meanwhile, each scored two runs for the Macs, reaching base a combined seven times.
The Mighty Macs rode the momentum from the extra-inning victory into game two, scoring three runs in the top of the first. Margiotta led off game one with a single into left-center field, later moving to third on a two-out single from Crowding. Margiotta then took advantage of a wild pitch, scoring while Crowding advanced to second. Sharp then reached base on an infield single, advancing to second on a throwing error by the third basemen. The throwing error also allowed Crowding to cross home plate for the Macs' second run of the inning.
Ryan Struble then hit the Macs' third straight single, moving Sharp to third. Struble then stole second base, prompting an errant throw from the Knights' catcher to score Sharp, giving the Macs a 3-0 lead.
Starting pitcher
Ryan Crowell hurled 4.2 innings of shutout baseball for the Macs, striking out four batters in the process. The Knights managed to plate a run in the bottom of the sixth, but would be unable to catch up further as the Mighty Macs secured the 3-1 victory.
Crowell earned the win for the Mighty Macs while Wagner earned his second decision of the day, this time a save, in 0.2 innings of work in the bottom of the seventh.
Margiotta, Crowding, and Sharp each scored for the Macs in game two, recording one base hit apiece in the low-scoring affair.
The Mighty Macs now improve to a 23-10 overall record on the season and have a firm grip on first place in the Atlantic East with a 12-3 record having won each conference series played.
Immaculata will next host Mitchell College on Tuesday, May 3
rd, for their final non-conference matchup of the season.
