PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – A four-run rally in the bottom of the eighth lifted the Pace University baseball team to a 6-4 opening day victory over Bloomfield College on Wednesday at Peter X. Finnerty Field. A two-run blast by senior first baseman Garrett De Lotto (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) tied the game up at 4-4, and later, an RBI single by junior third baseman Matthew Kurdewan (Neptune, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) brought in the winning run.
 
SCORING PLAYS
Top 1st – Bloomfield
- Junior starter Ryan Aquino (Mamaroneck, NY/Rye Neck) got the first two batters out before walking first baseman Harry Montero.
- Catcher Cristopher Cabral was then skimmed by a pitch, sending him to first with two away.
- Right fielder Isaac Pichardo took advantage with a long triple to right-center, bringing in both runners to give Bloomfield a 2-0 lead.
 
Bottom 1st – Pace
­- Senior center fielder John Kukura (New City, NY/Clarkstown South) opened things up quickly with a liner into right-center for a leadoff single.
- Kukura moved up to second on a wild pitch, and was then batted over to third when junior shortstop Paul Piccolino (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) grounded out to second.
- De Lotto came through with a slow single up the middle, bringing in Kukura to cut the deficit in half.
- De Lotto was moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt, and then took third on a passed ball, setting him up to score on senior designated hitter Domenick Luongo (Darien, CT/Cardinal Spellman)'s single up the gut, tying things up at 2-2.
 
Top 5th – Bloomfield
- With two away, a slow roller was bobbled in the infield, allowing third baseman Ramger Iglesias to reach base.
- Shortstop Juan Reina then hit a hard grounder down the third-base line, where Kurdewan made a great play to snag it, but his rushed throw to first was off line, getting behind the first baseman and allowing Iglesias to come all the way around to score to give the visitors a 3-2 lead.
 
Top 6th – Bloomfield
- A defensive miscue hurt the Setters again in the sixth. After Cabral was hit by a pitch for the second time, Pichardo singled to left, and the ball got past the fielder, allowing Cabral to score to make it 4-2, and Pichardo to move up to second.
- With nobody out, junior Anthony Criscione (Bronx, NY/Cardinal Spellman) took over for Aquino, and subsequently struck out the next three batters to escape trouble.
 
Bottom 8th – Pace
- Kukura got things started with a frozen-rope double over the left fielder to immediately put a runner in scoring position.
- Two batters later, De Lotto blasted a two-run homer over the right-field wall, tying the game up at 4-4.
- With two on and two outs, Kurdewan came up clutch with a single through the left side, scoring sophomore Riley Iafrate (Harrington Park, NJ/Don Bosco Prep) from second to put the Setters ahead, 5-4.
- Some luck helped the Setters out on the next play, as a throw to first went through the first baseman's mitt, allowing another run to score and put Pace on top, 6-4, heading into the final frame.
 
PITCHING DECISIONS
Win: Anthony Criscione (Bronx, NY/Cardinal Spellman) (1-0)
Loss: Ellis Sanchez (0-2)
Save: Michael Amato (Farmingville, NY/Sachem East/Suffolk CC) (1)
 
Pitching Notes
- Aquino went 5+ innings on Wednesday, allowing two earned runs on three hits.
- Criscione tossed three innings in relief without allowing a baserunner, striking out five along the way.
- Amato picks up the save after a perfect ninth frame.
- Bloomfield starter Carlos Tejeda threw seven innings, allowing one earned run on five hits.
 
SETTER STATS
- De Lotto hit 2-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs and his eighth-inning two-run homerun.
- Luongo went 3-for-4 with an RBI out of the five hole.
- Kurdewan provided the game-winner and went 1-for-4 with an RBI.
- Kukura batted 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored out of the leadoff spot.
- Senior catcher Frank Mayo (Middletown, NY/Minisink Valley) picked up where he left off last year behind the dish by throwing out a base runner in the game and not allowing a stolen base.
 
BLOOMFIELD LEADERS
- Pichardo finished up 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a triple.
- Cabral was hit by a pitch twice and scored two runs.
- Iglesias batted 1-for-4 with a run scored.
 
TEAM RECORDS
Pace: 1-0
Bloomfield: 2-1
 
UP NEXT:
- The Setters and Bears face off once again tomorrow, March 2, at Peter X. Finnerty Field. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
 
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