PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – The Pace University baseball team used six pitchers in Thursday afternoon's non-conference matchup against the University of Bridgeport, and none of them allowed a single run, as the Setters shut out the Purple Knights, 7-0, at Peter X. Finnerty Field. The quality in-region victory moves the Setters to 22-15 on the year, while Bridgeport falls to 17-15-1.
Senior starter
Ryan Mihalkovitz (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) went a predetermined four innings on Thursday, allowing just one hit and striking out three to pick up his second win of the season. Sophomore
Michael Amato (Farmingdale, NY/Sachem East/Suffolk CC) came on in the fifth, and shut down the Purple Knights in order. Junior
Anthony Rocco (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) took over in the sixth, giving up just one walk and no hits to keep Bridgeport scoreless.
Sophomore
Kyle Cashman (Hicksville, NY/Hicksville) pitched the seventh frame, giving up just one hit and no runs. Senior
Mike Sweeney (Wayne, NJ/DePaul Catholic) came out for the eighth, and struck out one batter and gave up just two hits without a run. Junior
James Wynne (North Salem, NY/North Salem) moved from the designated hitter spot to the mound for the ninth, and pitched a clean inning to close out the game.
Pace took advantage of its opponents' mistakes in the first inning to take an early 4-0 lead. Junior center fielder
John Kukura (New City, NY/Clarkstown South) scored the first run after a wild pitch brought him in from third. Later with the bases loaded, junior first baseman
Nick LoBello (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) drew a walk, plating sophomore third baseman
Paul Piccolino (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) to double the lead. With two outs in the inning, freshman second baseman
Michael Salmonese (Waldwick, NJ/Waldwick) hit a chopper to short, which squeaked past the fielder and into left field, bringing two runs around to score and leave Pace with a 4-0 advantage after one.
Both offenses were quiet until the seventh inning, when the Setters added to their lead. Kukura opened the inning by being hit with a pitch. He then stole second, and advanced to third when the catcher's throw ended up in center field. Sophomore catcher
Michael Gulino (Meriden, CT/Maloney) stroked a single through the left side, scoring Kukura to make it a 5-0 game.
The Setters loaded the bases with one away in the bottom of the eighth frame. Graduate shortstop
Brett Bittiger (Saylorsburg, PA/Pius X) then hit a long fly ball to right for a sacrifice fly, bringing in Wynne to put Pace up by six. Kukura then slapped a single into left, scoring junior left fielder
Domenick Luongo (Darien, CT/Cardinal Spellman) to take a 7-0 lead.
Kukura went 2-for-4 with two runs, an RBI and a stolen base in the win. Gulino batted 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI, while LoBello hit 1-for-3 with an RBI and a double. Salmonese hit 2-for-3.
Bridgeport starter Anthony Alicki fell to 1-4 after allowing four runs (two earned) on four hits and five walks in six innings of work. Third baseman Alnaydo Rodriguez hit 1-for-2, while first baseman Alec Jannotta hit 1-for-3.
The Setters have a big weekend ahead of them, as they will match up with Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division leader the College of Saint Rose in a three-game series at Peter X. Finnerty Field. The series will begin on Saturday, April 23, with a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.
For all information regarding Pace baseball, log on to
www.PaceUAthletics.com and follow Pace Athletics on Facebook (
T-Bone, Official Mascot of Pace University Athletics) and Twitter (
@PaceUAthletics), and follow Pace baseball on Instagram (
@PaceBaseball).
