COLCHESTER, Vt. – Allowing just three runs over 19 innings of action, the Pace University baseball team swept Saint Michael's on Saturday afternoon. The 6-1 and 4-2 wins improve Pace's record to 17-9 on the year and 6-5 in conference play.

Game One Recap: Pace 6, Saint Michael's 1
It was the Dan Wirchansky (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland/RCC) show in the opener, as the senior was lights out on the mound. Wirchansky tossed a season-high eight shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out 16.

The Purple Knights were able to finally get on the board with an unearned run in the ninth off Angus McCloskey (Farmingdale, NY/Farmingdale), but Wirchansky's dominance allowed the Setter bats to score more than enough runs at the plate.

Still scoreless in the fourth, the Setters plated the game's first run after an Alex Pia (Guilford, CT/Xavier) single. Dean DePreta (Stamford, CT/Westhill High School) advanced to third on the hit and came around to score on an error on the Purple Knights' second baseman.

Two innings later, the Setters tacked on another pair of runs. Noah Clement (Voorhees, NJ/Roman Catholic High School) earned an RBI on a groundout that scored Michael Barbato (Sparkill, NY/Tappan Zee), while Pia came home on a passed ball. Pace put the game out of reach with three ninth-inning runs, started with a Luke Jacobi (Edison, NJ/JP Stevens) RBI single. The 6-0 lead proved to be more than enough heading into the final half inning.

Game Two Recap: Pace 4, Saint Michael's 2 (10 Innings)
Michael Roll (Ramsey, NJ/Bergen Catholic High School) got the start in the second game, following nicely in Wirchansky's footsteps. The freshman threw a scoreless five innings, allowing just two hits and a walk while recording seven punchouts.

Roll would be matched pitch-for-pitch by Saint Michael's Alex Mendez, who held Pace in check through the opening seven innings. The Blue and Gold were limited to just two hits through seven innings as the game went to the bottom half of the frame still scoreless.

It would be the Purple Knights who finally opened up the scoring, tagging Frankie Giuliano (Bronx, NY/Archbishop Stepinac) for back-to-back two-out RBI doubles to put Saint Michael's ahead 2-0. Joe Pizzingrillo (Garden City, NY/Chaminade) came in for relief to record the final out of the inning with a strikeout to hold the Purple Knight lead there.

Pace answered right back in their following at-bats. DePreta hit a triple to right center to score Jacobi, while Barbato's sacrifice fly one batter later pulled the score even. Pizzingrillo would keep the Purple Knights off the board heading into the 10^th.

Jacobi would open up the frame with a leadoff walk, advancing to third on a sacrifice and a single. With Barbato at the plate, the redshirt freshman came home on a passed ball.

Later in the at-bat, Barbato hit a fly ball to centerfield, deep enough to bring home DePreta to extend Pace's extra-inning lead up to 4-2. Lorenzo Russo (East Northport, NY/Commack) came in to close the door in the bottom half, allowing a lone baserunner while picking up his second save of the year.

Up Next
The Setters will play two again tomorrow, traveling to Saint Anselm for a doubleheader beginning at noon.