Cary, N.C. – Playing their first of four games this weekend at the USA Baseball National Training Complex, the Pace University baseball team put together a 5-0 triumph over Mansfield University on Friday. The victory improves the Setters to 2-0 this season.

As was the case in Pace's first win of the season, pitching led the way for the Setters on Friday. Sophomore Thomas Ippolito (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) dominated in his first start of the season, striking out 10 across six shutout innings, Junior Lorenzo Russo (East Northport, NY/Commack) finished the deal out of the bullpen, tossing three more scoreless frames.

Ippolito yielded just two hits on the day, while Russo allowed just one base runner on a walk. Russo has now thrown 6.2 innings of shutout baseball this season.

The Setters did all of their damage across the middle innings, combining for five runs in the fifth and sixth frames. Senior Michael Salmonese (Waldwick, NJ/Waldwick) put Pace on the board with an RBI double to left field. Sophomore Matt Bass (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville) raced all the way home from first base after initiating a one-out walk.

The Blue and Gold tacked on two more runs in the fifth off a Mansfield two-out error. Salmonese came around to score, in addition to Noah Clement (Voorhees, NJ/Roman Catholic High School), who reached base on a single to left field.

Bass was once again involved in Pace's attack in the following inning—this time driving in a pair. Bass knocked a single to right-center field to score both Alex Pia (Guilford, CT/Xavier) and Brian Bohlander (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland). Bohlander led off the sixth with a single, while Pia walked.
 
Up Next
The Setters will play two more games in Cary tomorrow, beginning with a 10 a.m. contest against Clarion University.