PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – The Pace University baseball team took down Caldwell University by a score of 9-4 in non-conference action at Peter X. Finnerty Field Wednesday afternoon.
SCORING PLAYS
Bottom 1st – Pace
- Senior center fielder
John Kukura (New City, NY/Clarkstown South) walked to lead off the first.
- Two batters later, junior first baseman
Michael Gulino (Meriden, CT/Maloney) blasted a two-run homer down the left-field line to put the Setters up, 2-0.
Top 2nd – Caldwell
- Caldwell brought in a pair of runs on wild pitches following third baseman Michael Bernstein's lead-off double.
Bottom 2nd – Pace
- Freshman third baseman
Brian Bohlander (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland) was hit by a pitch to start the inning, and then sophomore catcher
Michael Barbato (Sparkill, NY/Tappan Zee) reached on an error by the shortstop.
- Sophomore left fielder
Alex Pia (Guilford, CT/Xavier) then ripped a single up the middle, scoring Bohlander to put Pace back in the lead.
- With the bases loaded later in the frame, sophomore second baseman
Riley Iafrate (Harrington Park, NJ/Don Bosco Prep) then brought in Barbato on a fielder's choice to give the Setters a 4-2 advantage.
Top 3rd –
Caldwell
- With runners on second and third, left fielder Kevin Goldman grounded out to second, bringing in a run to make it a 4-3 game.
- Bernstein then singled up the middle, scoring another run to tie the game at 4-4.
Bottom 6th – Pace
- Barbato singled up the middle to lead off the sixth, and was then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Pia.
- Kukura reached on an error later in the inning, and then stole second to put two runners in scoring position.
- Iafrate then legged out a grounder into no man's land on the right side, scoring Barbato to put Pace ahead, 5-4.
- Gulino then sent a triple over the head of the center fielder, bringing in two more runs to give the Setters a 7-4 edge.
Bottom 8th – Pace
- Kukura skied one over the left-center field for a solo homer to put the Setters ahead, 8-4.
- Later in the inning with Iafrate on second, senior designated hitter
James Wynne (North Salem, NY/North Salem) singled past the third baseman to bring Iafrate around to score and give Pace a 9-4 lead.
PITCHING DECISIONS
Win:
Joe Pizzingrillo (Garden City, NY/Chaminade) (1-0)
Loss: Jason Salva (1-3)
SETTER STATS
- Gulino finished 2-for-4 with a home run, triple, four RBIs and a run scored.
- Iafrate batted 2-for-5 with two RBIs, two runs and a double.
- Barbato hit 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
- Kukura went 1-for-3 with a solo homer, an RBI, three runs scored and a pair of stolen bases.
COUGAR LEADERS
- Bernstein finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, a run and a double.
- Second baseman Paul Marinello hit 2-for-3 with a run scored and a double.
TEAM RECORDS
Pace: 26-16
Caldwell: 12-27
UP NEXT:
- The Setters visit Southwest Division leader Southern Connecticut State University for the final weekend of the regular season with their chances at the NE10 Conference Championships on the line. The three-game series begins on Friday, May 5, with a single game at 3:30 p.m. The series concludes on Saturday 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).
