PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Junior right fielder
Cory Capaldi (Telford, PA/Souderton) slammed two home runs, and senior starting pitcher
Dylan Mouzakes (Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollow Hills) went seven strong to lead the Pace University baseball team to a 12-1 opening-day triumph over Dowling College on Sunday in the Setters' first game at the new Peter X. Finnerty Field.
Capaldi hit his first home run in the sixth inning, a solo blast to left-center, to put Pace up, 9-0, at the time. He did it again an inning later, this time with a three-run laser to left field that gave the Setters a 12-1 edge. He finished 3-for-4 on the day with four RBIs and four runs scored.
Mouzakes tossed seven stellar innings to earn his first win of the year on Sunday. He allowed just one run, which came on a wild pitch, and scattered four hits while striking out four batters.
Junior first baseman
Garrett De Lotto (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) impressed in his first game as a Setter, batting 4-for-5 with four RBIs, a triple and a double. Junior center fielder
John Kukura (New City, NY/Clarkstown South) had an excellent game out of the leadoff spot for the Setters. He hit 4-for-4 with two runs, an RBI and a stolen base. He was also hit by a pitch.
Mouzakes managed to avoid trouble in the first inning. The leadoff batter reached on an error in right field, but was subsequently thrown out trying to take third to keep the bases clean. Third baseman Vinny Orlando then doubled for the Golden Lions, but Mouzakes got the next two batters to ground out to end the inning.
Things were quiet until there were two outs in the bottom of the third. With two on, De Lotto smoked a triple to left field, clearing the bases to put Pace up, 2-0.
The Setters did more damage with two away in the fourth. Junior designated hitter
James Wynne (North Salem, NY/North Salem) reached on a throwing error by the shortstop, senior second baseman
Andrew Coffey (Greenwich, CT/Old Avon Farms) around to score. Senior third baseman
Nick LoBello (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) took advantage of the situation, singling down the left-field line to bring in Wynne and Kukura. De Lotto added two more, scoring Capaldi and LoBello on a single to center, leaving Pace with a 7-0 lead after four.
Pace kept the scoring streak going in the fifth when Kukura stroked a triple to deep center, bringing Coffey in to score. Capaldi then made it 9-0 with his first homer of the day in the bottom of the sixth.
The Golden Lions had the bases loaded and one away when Mouzakes threw a wild pitch to bring in Dowling's only run. He came back by striking out the next batter and getting the next to ground out and end the inning. The game's scoring was capped off by Capaldi's three-run long ball in the bottom of the seventh, setting the game up for a 12-1 final.
Like, De Lotto, Wynne made his debut as a Setter after transferring to Pace for this season. He went 1-for-3 with two runs in the game. Grad student
Brett Bittiger (Saylorsburg, PA/Pius X) went 2-for-5 on Sunday.
Dowling's Cody McPartland shouldered the loss in Sunday's game, yielding seven runs (three earned) in 3.2 innings of work. Orlando went 2-for-4 for the Golden Lions, while center fielder Chris Appell hit 1-for-3.
The Setters tallied 17 hits in Sunday's game, matching last year's highest total. The 12 runs and 11 RBIs in the game each surpassed last year's best by one. The team also never hit more than one home run in a game in 2015.
Pace gets back to work quickly, as the Setters host Bloomfield College this Tuesday, March 1, at Finnerty Field. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m.
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