WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Pace University baseball team fell twice to West Chester University of Pennsylvania on Sunday in the Setters' final day in Winter Haven, Fla. Game 1 ended with a 2-1 final in favor of the Golden Rams, and then West Chester came out on top in Game 2, 5-3. The Setters drop to 3-4 on the season with the losses, while the Golden Rams improve to 6-1.
Game 1 – West Chester 2, Pace 1 The Setters fell behind early on in Sunday's first matchup, which was scheduled to be a seven-inning affair. West Chester got its first run in the bottom of the second when third baseman Anthony Salamone hit an RBI single to give the Golden Rams a 1-0 lead. That lead doubled when left fielder Drew Diehl doubled in another run later in the inning to make it 2-0 in favor of West Chester.
The Setters got one back in the top of the sixth when sophomore shortstop
Paul Piccolino (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) reached base on an error, bringing sophomore left fielder
Michael Gulino (Meriden, CT/Maloney) around to score and cut the deficit in half. That was the end of the scoring in the game, resulting in a 2-1 final.
Senior starter
Josh Garran (Old Tappan, NJ/Northern Valley Regional) had a solid outing, but still shouldered the loss in a low-scoring contest to fall to 1-1 on the year. He went the full six innings for the Setters, allowing just two runs while striking out five batters. Nick Stallings picked up the win for the Golden Rams after yielding just one unearned run in 5.2 innings. Mike O'Neill got the save for West Chester after tossing the final 1.1 innings without allowing a baserunner.
Junior designated hitter
James Wynne (North Salem, NY/North Salem) went 2-for-4 with a double in the game. Gulino hit 2-for-3 with a run scored. Junior right fielder
Cory Capaldi (Telford, PA/Souderton) and senior second baseman
Andrew Coffey (Greenwich, CT/Old Avon Farms) both went 1-for-3.
West Chester's Diehl batted 2-for-3 with an RBI and a double, while Salomone hit 1-for-2 with the other RBI. Center fielder Nick Bateman went 1-for-3 with a doubled run scored.
Game 2 – West Chester 5, Pace 3 Sunday's finale went two scoreless innings before both teams got on the board in the third. Shortstop Nick Ward gave the Golden Rams the first lead of the game with an RBI single in the top half of the inning. Wynne tied the game for Pace in the bottom of the third, doubling in Piccolino to knot things up at one.
A big fifth inning for West Chester proved to be the decisive frame in the game. Designated hitter Zach Sheranko tripled in two runs in the top of the inning to put the Golden Rams up, 3-1. Right fielder Robert Knox added to the rally with an RBI single later in the inning to make it a 4-1 lead for West Chester.
The Setters chipped away at West Chester's lead in the bottom of the sixth. Gulino hit a single with two runners on, bringing senior third baseman
Nick LoBello (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) around to score and get Pace back within two. The Setters did not take advantage of having runners on the corners with one away in the inning.
West Chester added to its lead in the top of the ninth when pinch hitter Joey Coyle brought in a run on a ground out to third base, making it a three-run game. Junior
Domenick Luongo (Darien, CT/Cardinal Spellman) came through on a pinch-hit opportunity in the bottom of the ninth, singling in senior catcher
Frank Mayo (Middletown, NY/Minisink Valley) after Mayo doubled earlier in the inning. The Setters worked the bases loaded with two away in the inning, but were unable to bring in another run, falling by two scores.
Mike Cipolla improved to 2-0 for West Chester after allowing two runs in 5.1 innings of work. Josh McClain earned a long save for the Golden Rams after hanging on to the lead in 3.2 innings of relief work. Senior starter
Mike Sweeney (Wayne, NJ/DePaul Catholic) took the loss for Pace, his first of the season, after yielding four runs in 4.2 innings. He struck out five batters. Senior reliever
Michael Forgione (West Harrison, NY/Harrison) allowed just one run and one hit in 3.1 innings in relief, striking out four batters.
Wynne batted 2-for-4 with his fourth double of the year and an RBI. Piccolino hit 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored. LoBello went 2-for-5 with a run scored, while junior first baseman
Garrett De Lotto (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) went 1-for-2 with two walks. Mayo batted 1-for-4 in the game with a double and a run.
The Setters now head home, where they will get set for five games this week. The first is their only road matchup of the week, which will take place in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. at Mercy College on Tuesday, March 8. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
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