PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – With runners on first and second and two away in the bottom of the ninth, junior first baseman
Garrett De Lotto (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) smacked a liner into the left-center field gap, bringing junior center fielder
John Kukura (New City, NY/Clarkstown South) around to score and give the Pace University baseball team a 4-3 victory over Bentley University in Friday's Northeast-10 Conference matchup at Peter X. Finnerty Field. The Setters improve to 16-8 overall and 4-1 in the NE-10 with the win, while Bentley drops to 6-14 and 1-4.
The first two batters of the inning grounded out to shortstop, leaving Pace one out from extra innings and Kukura heading to the plate. Kukura legged out a Baltimore chop to keep the inning alive. Sophomore catcher
Michael Gulino (Meriden, CT/Maloney) then singled through the right side, moving Kukura into scoring position for De Lotto. With a 1-0 count, De Lotto roped a line drive between the left and center fielders, plating Kukura to win the game.
Pace took the early lead in Friday's matchup when junior left fielder
James Wynne (North Salem, NY/North Salem) hit a sacrifice fly to bring De Lotto in from third for a 1-0 lead in the second. With sophomore third baseman
Paul Piccolino (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) on base, Gulino blasted a two-run homer to the road beyond the left-field fence to give the Setters a 3-0 lead.
It was not until the top of the eighth that Bentley managed to put runs on the board. Those runs came in a bunch, as shortstop Justin Ashworth hit a three-run homer to left, tying the game at three. The Setters could not take the lead in the eighth, which eventually set up De Lotto to hit the game-winner the next inning.
Senior starter
Michael Forgione (West Harrison, NY/Harrison) went six scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and striking out three, but did not factor into the decision. Senior
Dylan Mouzakes (Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollow Hills) pitched the final three innings, and picked up the win to jump to 5-0 on the year. Mouzakes now has 14 wins in his career, moving him into a tie with Mark Mammola (1988-91) and Matt Reilly (2003-06) on the all-time wins list.
De Lotto hit 2-for-5 in the game with a run and the game-winning RBI. Gulino went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and a double. Kukura batted 2-for-5 and scored twice. Junior right fielder
Cory Capaldi (Telford, PA/Souderton) had a 2-for-4 outing, while Wynne knocked in a run while going 1-for-3.
Bentley started Will Alden went eight innings, allowing three runs and nine hits. Reliever Jack Burke took the loss after giving up De Lotto's winning hit. Ashworth hit 1-for-4 with three RBIs and a run after his three-run shot in the eighth.
The Setters and Falcons are set to square off once again on Saturday, April 2, at Peter X. Finnerty Field. First pitch for the NE-10 matchup is set for 1 p.m.
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