CALDWELL, N.J. – Sophomore third baseman
Paul Piccolino (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) and graduate shortstop
Brett Bittiger (Saylorsburg, PA/Pius X) each homered as the Pace University baseball team shut out Caldwell University, 6-0, Tuesday afternoon at Kiwanis Oval. Pace improves to 15-7 on the year and picks up its 11th win in 12 games, while Caldwell falls to 6-5.
Piccolino hit a two-run blast in the top of the second, pushing Pace's lead to 3-0 early on in the game. Bittiger followed with a solo shot in the top of the fourth to make it a 4-0 edge for the visitors. It was each student-athlete's first-career home run.
The Setters opened the game by scoring on a double play in the first. The home runs by Piccolino and Bittiger made it a 4-0 lead for Pace, and then Piccolino added an RBI single in the sixth, scoring junior first baseman
Garrett De Lotto (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug). Bittiger also added one more RBI on a sacrifice fly later in the inning, bringing senior catcher
Frank Mayo (Middletown, NY/Minisink Valley) around to score and make it 6-0.
Sophomore starter
Ryan Aquino (Mamaroneck, NY/Rye Neck) shined in the win, going seven shutout innings and allowing just one hit to improve to 2-0 on the season. He struck out four batters. Junior reliever
Jordan del Sol (Edison, NJ/Wardlaw-Hartridge School/UMass Lowell) pitched a hitless eighth inning, fanning two batters, and senior
Ryan Mihalkovitz (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) came on to close it out in the ninth, striking out two more to finish the game.
Piccolino hit 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run, including his two-run homer. Bittiger batted 1-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs and a run scored. Junior designated hitter
James Wynne (North Salem, NY/North Salem) went 2-for-3 with a run and two stolen bases. Mayo scored two runs in a 1-for-4 outing.
Caldwell starter Justin Picinic dropped to 0-2 after giving up four runs in four innings on seven hits. First baseman Noah Clark went 1-for-4 with a ninth-inning double, while left fielder Dominick Orlando had Caldwell's only other hit in a 1-for-4 effort.
The Setters get back to work quickly, as they host Adelphi University on Wednesday, March 30, for a Northeast-10 Conference matchup at Peter X. Finnerty Field. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.
For all information regarding Pace baseball, log on to
www.PaceUAthletics.com and follow Pace Athletics on Facebook (
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