PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Led by pitching that surrendered just two runs over 18 innings of work, the Pace University baseball team began Northeast-10 Conference play with a pair of wins over Southern New Hampshire University on Saturday afternoon. With the 1-0 and 4-2 victories, the Setters improve to 7-4-1 on the season and remain a perfect 6-0 at home.

Inside the Numbers
*Strong contributions from the arms on the mound continued to yield success for the Setters. Dan Wirchansky (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland/RCC) got the day started for the Setters with another dominant performance, tossing a complete-game shutout. The junior lefty improved to 3-1 on the season by striking out 10 Penmen while allowing just three hits and his first walk of the season. His ERA now sits at 0.79.

*Ryan Aquino (Mamaroneck, NY/Rye Neck) picked up his first win of the season with five solid innings as the starter for Game Two. The senior held SNHU scoreless on two hits and four walks while striking out two.

*Kyle Cashman (Hicksville, NY/Hicksville) and Jake Amoroso (Stratford, CT/St. Joseph) combined for the final four innings, allowing two runs on three hits. Amoroso picked up his third save of the season with two shutout innings to close out the contest.

*Michael Salmonese (Waldwick, NJ/Waldwick) had the biggest at-bat in Game One, as his third triple of the season drove in the lone run of the contest.

*Michael Gulino (Meriden, CT/Maloney) hit his third home run of the season in Game Two to kickstart the Setters' offense.

*Paul Piccolino (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) went 3-for-7 across both games, scoring a run and collecting an RBI in the backend of the doubleheader.

*Saturday marked the first doubleheader sweep for the Setters over SNHU since 2006. The Penmen lost just twice in league play during all of last season.

Game One Recap – Pace 1, SNHU 0
Pitching told the story in the opener, as both offenses struggled to get anything going in the early going. Wirchansky retired the first eight batters he­­ faced before giving up a hit in the third, but quickly retired the next batter he faced. The Setters, meanwhile, didn't get a runner past first base until their turn in the third, but were unable to capitalize on the early opportunity.

The Penmen would tag Wirchansky for two hits in the fourth, but that would be all the SNHU bats would be able to muster against him. The Penmen would have just two baserunners for the remainder of the game that reached on an error and a walk as Wirchansky continued his remarkable season on the mound, collecting ten strikeouts.

Pace would ultimately get a run on the board in the fifth, after a leadoff double from Brian Bohlander (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland) got the Setters cooking early. Salmonese would capitalize on the opportunity by driving him home two batters later with a triple. While that was all the Setters could manage at the plate, it was plenty for Wirchansky to work with. The junior retired eight straight batters to close out the game and pick up the 1-0 victory in the opener.

Game Two Recap – Pace 4, SNHU 2
It was the pitchers once again leading the way in the finale, as both offenses went six-up, six-down to begin the game. The Penmen would collect the first hit of the game in the top of the third, but the one out single was quickly erased on a double play induced by Aquino.

The Setters didn't fare much better their first time through the lineup, getting a single baserunner on a Felix Camacho (Bronx, NY/St. Raymond's High School for Boys / Westchester Community College) walk. While it took a bit for Pace to get into the hit column, their first one of the contest would be big. After Piccolino reached on an error to begin the inning, Gulino hit a two-run shot over the left field wall to put the Setters on top, 2-0.

Aquino would work around trouble through the first five innings as the Setters tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth off a Piccolino single. The starter would face two batters to begin the sixth, but a pair of leadoff walks led to Cashman coming in for relief. The senior made quick work with the inherited runners, turning a double play and getting a line out to escape the jam.

The Penmen would get into the run column for the first time on the day in the 7^th, as Dakota Mulcay took a Cashman pitch deep over the right field wall for a two-run homer. Cashman rebounded nicely, turning away the next two batters to keep Pace ahead, 3-2.

The Setters would add an insurance run in the eighth off a sacrifice fly from Michael Barbato (Sparkill, NY/Tappan Zee) to score Ryan Crowley (Cornwall on Hudson, NY/Iona Prep/Monmouth), while Amoroso shut the door with two scoreless innings to earn save number three for the season as the Setters completed the sweep with the 4-2 win.

Up Next
It's short rest for the Setters who return to Finnerty Field tomorrow. Pace will host NE10 foe Franklin Pierce University for a doubleheader beginning at noon.