ALBANY, N.Y. – The Pace University baseball team scored 23 runs in two games on Saturday, leading to a doubleheader sweep of the College of Saint Rose in Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division action at Bob Bellizzi Field. Pace claimed a 9-4 victory in Game 1, and then rolled to a 14-1 win in the finale.
 
GAME 1: PACE 9, SAINT ROSE 4
SCORING PLAYS
Top 1st – Pace
- Senior catcher Frank Mayo (Middletown, NY/Minisink Valley) drew a walk with one away, and then senior second baseman John Kukura (New City, NY/Clarkstown South) ripped a double to left-center, plating Mayo to give the Setters a quick 1-0 lead.
 
Top 3rd – Pace
- Mayo and Kukura drew back-to-back walks, and then junior center fielder Michael Gulino (Meriden, CT/Maloney) singled to right to load the bases.
- With two away, senior right fielder Cory Capaldi (Telford, PA/Souderton) drew the third walk of the inning, plating Mayo to make it a 2-0 lead for Pace.
 
Bottom 3rd – Saint Rose
- Center fielder Matt McKinnon walked, stole second and advanced to third on an error.
- Right fielder Anthony Scheller then grounded out to second, but it was enough to bring in McKinnon to get Saint Rose on the board.
 
Top 5th – Pace
- The Setters loaded the bases in the fifth, and back-to-back walks for senior designated hitter James Wynne (North Salem, NY/North Salem) and junior third baseman Matthew Kurdewan (Neptune, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) brought in another two runs to give Pace a 4-1 advantage.
 
Top 6th – Pace
- The Setters put runners on the corners after Gulino beat out a grounder to short.
- Senior left fielder Domenick Luongo (Darien, CT/Cardinal Spellman) then drew a walk to load the bases.
- Capaldi brought in a run with a sacrifice fly to center, and then senior first baseman Garrett De Lotto (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) roped an RBI single into center to put Pace ahead by five.
 
Bottom 6th – Saint Rose
- Left fielder Kenny Fils-Aime led off with a double to center for the Golden Knights.
- Second baseman Andrew Pedone then singled up the middle, scoring Fils-Aime to make it a 6-2 game.
- Third baseman Alex Chandler later brought in Pedone on a sacrifice fly to right, getting the home team back within three.
 
Top 8th ­– Pace
- Singles by Luongo and Capaldi put runners on first and third, and then Capaldi moved to second on a wild pitch.
- De Lotto then walked to once again load the bases.
- Wynne smacked a single through the left side to score Luongo and make it a 7-3 game.
- Later in the frame, sophomore shortstop Michael Salmonese (Waldwick, NJ/Waldwick) knocked in two runs on a single to right, putting Pace up by six.
 
Bottom 8th – Saint Rose
- Catcher Joe DeLuca beat out a bunt to the pitcher with one away.
- First baseman Joe Foran then singled to center, sending DeLuca over to third.
- Chandler then grounded out, but brought in DeLuca in the process to make it a 9-4 game.
 
GAME 1 PITCHING DECISIONS
Win: Dan Wirchansky (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland/RCC) (3-4)
Loss: Michael Pastore (0-5)
 
Pitching Notes
- Sophomore starter Dan Wirchansky (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland/RCC) allowed three runs on just four hits across seven innings to earn the win. He also struck out five batters.
 
GAME 1 SETTER STATS
- Gulino went 3-for-6 with two runs scored.
- Capaldi knocked in two runs and scored two more after going 1-for-3.
- De Lotto and Kukura each picked up a run and an RBI.
- Salmonese finished 3-for-6 with two RBIs.
 
GAME 1 GOLDEN KNIGHT LEADERS
- Fils-Aime hit 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored.
- Pedone went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.
- DeLuca batted 1-for-3 with a run.
 
 
GAME 2: PACE 14, SAINT ROSE 1
SCORING PLAYS
Top 6th – Pace
- Salmonese led off the sixth with a single to right, and then Mayo roped a double to left to bring in the first run of the game.
- Kukura then singled through the left side, putting runners on first and third.
- De Lotto later brought in Mayo on a fielder's choice to give the Setters a 2-0 lead.
 
Top 7th – Pace
- Wynne opened the seventh with a bunt single towards third, and then Kurdewan laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Wynne to second.
- Later, Mayo knocked in Wynne on a single to left to make it a 3-0 Pace lead.
- With two runners on later in the inning, Gulino slammed a two-RBI double to left, improving Pace's lead to five.
 
Top 8th – Pace
- Capaldi and Luongo kicked off the eighth with back-to-back singles, and then Wynne reached on an error to load the bases.
- Kurdewan then dropped a single into right to score Capaldi and make it a 6-0 game.
- Salmonese hit one through the hole on the left side, bringing in another two runs to increase Pace's lead to eight.
- Mayo singled to load the bases again, and then Kukura hit a sacrifice fly to left to give the Setters a 9-0 edge.
- De Lotto later brought in another run on an RBI single to center, putting Pace up by 10.
 
Top 9th – Pace
- With two runners on, Mayo continued a big game with a two-RBI double to right-center to make it a 12-0 game.
- Kukura then blasted a two-run homer to put the Setters up, 14-0.
 
Bottom 9th – Saint Rose
- Right fielder Michael Shine broke up the shutout with a solo homer in the ninth, but Pace still held on for a 13-run victory.
 
GAME 2 PITCHING DECISIONS
Win: Kyle Cashman (Hicksville, NY/Hicksville) (4-3)
Loss: Dominic Razzano (0-5)
 
Pitching Notes
- Junior starter Kyle Cashman (Hicksville, NY/Hicksville) lost his shutout in the ninth, but went the complete game, striking out seven batter and giving up just one run on nine hits for the win.
 
GAME 2 SETTER STATS
- Mayo had a huge game, going 5-for-6 with two doubles, four RBIs and three runs scored..
- Kukura also put in a great effort, batting 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs.
- Salmonese went 3-for-6 for the second time on Saturday, scoring twice and knocking in two runs.
- Kurdewan hit 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.
- Luongo batted 1-for-3 with two runs scored
 
GAME 2 GOLDEN KNIGHT LEADERS
- Shine knocked in the only run of the game for the Golden Knights with a solo homer in the ninth.
 
TEAM RECORDS
Pace: 25-14 (14-7 NE10, 7-6 SW)
Saint Rose: 5-27 (4-15 NE10, 2-13 SW)
 
UP NEXT:
- Pace and Saint Rose go head-to-head one more time on Sunday, April 30, beginning at 12 p.m. in Albany, N.Y.
 
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