PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – The Pace University baseball team split its doubleheader against Southern Connecticut State University Friday, April 28. The Setters defeated the Owls 4-2 in game one, then were defeated by a 3-1 final in game two.

Game One: Pace 4, Southern Connecticut State 2

Southern Connecticut State (28-10, 11-3 NE10) got on the board in the bottom of the first. After the leadoff hitter got on base and advanced to third with two out, a wild pitch brought him in for the first run of the game.

Pace (25-16, 5-9 NE10) got the first two runners on in the second thanks to back-to-back singles from grad student outfielder Luke Jacobi (Edison, N.J./JP Stevens) and grad student first baseman Nate Carminucci (Somers, N.Y./North Salem High School), but a double play ended the scoring threat as the Setters were kept off the board.

The pitchers then took control, as senior Patrick Gleason (Valhalla, N.Y./Valhalla) at SCSU's Mike Szturma didn't allow a baserunner over the next two innings. After Pace went down in order again in the fifth, their bats came to life in the top of the sixth.

After a pair of walks put two runners on with two out, grad student outfielder Mitchell McCabe (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford/ Bridgton Academy) singled up the middle, bringing in one to tie the game. Sophomore shortstop was next up to bat and gave the Setters their first lead, lining an RBI single to right field to put the visitors up 2-1. After a walk put two runners on, an error them both in, as Jacobi and Baronian came around to score to extend the lead to 4-1 heading to the bottom of the sixth.

The Owls get runners on base in the sixth and seventh, but Gleason kept them off the board each time. Pace had a chance to add to the lead in the eighth, getting a pair of singles to start the inning, but left them stranded as the next three batters were set down.

SCSU inched closer in the eighth, getting one run across to cut the lead to 4-2. A two-out single with a runner on first followed by a Pace error brought in the Owls' second run, and the home team threatened to add even more with two runners on and two out. But Gleason was able to work out of trouble, getting a key strikeout to end the inning and limit the damage to one run.

In the bottom of the ninth, an error put the tying run at the plate, but freshman pitcher Robert Gilchrist (New Milford, Conn./North Salem) was able to set down the final two batters to preserve the 4-2 victory.
 

Game Two: Southern Connecticut State 3, Pace 1

Pace had a chance to jump out to an early lead in game two, getting a double by McCabe in the top of the first, but the Setters couldn't get him home, stranding two in the inning.

Sophomore Vincent Civitella (Clifton, N.J./Clifton) was on the mound in game two and worked out of trouble in the bottom of the first, getting a strikeout to leave two on the basepaths and keep the game scoreless.

After the visitors again left two on in the second, SCSU put up the first runs of the game in the home half. Connor Goggin led off the inning with a solo home run, then with a runner on second with one out, a single and error brought in another to make it a 2-0 game.

A sacrifice fly by SCSU made it a 3-0 game in the third, and Pace went down 1-2-3 in the fourth as the Owls held their lead.

The Setters got on the board in the top of the fifth, however, as McCabe blasted a solo home run to left-center, his team-leading eighth of the season, to cut Southern Connecticut State's lead to 3-1.

After a scoreless sixth, Pace was able to get the tying run to the plate in the seventh but couldn't get it across as SCSU held on for a 3-1 win as the teams split the doubleheader.

Up Next

The Setters and Owls play another doubleheader Sunday, April 30, with game one starting at 1 p.m.