HOOKSETT, N.H. – The Pace University baseball team won its first game of the NCAA Tournament, defeating Franklin Pierce University 10-5 Thursday, May 18. The Setters had their first tournament appearance and victory in 10 years with the win.
The Setters (34-19) jumped out to the lead right away in the first. Sophomore outfielder Josh Miller (Clifton, N.J./Clifton), who had three hits and four RBI on the day, led the game off with a double and came in to score on an RBI single by grad student outfielder Mitchell McCabe (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford/ Bridgton Academy).
With the bases loaded and one out, Pace was able to get another run across. A blooper off the bat of sophomore catcher Hunter Goldstein (Jericho, N.Y./Jericho) dropped in shallow right field, but two runners were thrown out trying to advance. Junior third baseman Anthony Labita (North Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) scored prior to the double play, so the Setters took a 2-0 lead to the bottom of the first.
The Ravens (34-18) got one back in the home half of the first, loading the bases with nobody out after two walks and a hit batter. Joseph Pesce hit a sacrifice fly to center with one out, but sophomore pitcher Vincent Civitella (Clifton, N.J./Clifton) was able to limit the damage to one run and keep Pace in the lead.
The Setters kept up the offense in the second, putting up four more runs. After a single and walk to start the inning, Miller stepped to the plate and crushed his first home run of the year over the right-centerfield fence to add three more runs. McCabe then doubled to center with one out and came in to score on an RBI single from grad student outfielder Luke Jacobi (Edison, N.J./JP Stevens) to make it a 6-1 lead for Pace.
Franklin Pierce got one run closer in the third, getting another sac fly from Pesce with the bases loaded. But again, Civitella was able to get a strikeout to end the inning as Pace took a 6-2 lead to the fourth.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Ravens put up two more to narrow the lead to two runs. After two walks, Ian Battipaglia drove one in with an RBI double. An RBI groundout by Joel Lara got another run home and made it a 6-4 game.
However, the Setters came right back in the top of the fifth with three more runs to extend the lead to 9-4. A single and two walks loaded the bases with one out, and an infielder single by freshman infielder Benjamin Tullo (Wappinger Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham Senior) scored a run. Miller then picked up another RBI with a groundout, and a wild pitch brought another run home as Pace took a five-run lead.
Grad student pitcher Michael Roll (Ramsey, N.J./Bergen Catholic High School), on in relief of Civitella, came in and went five innings for the Setters, allowing one run on four hits while striking out nine batters. He struck out the side in the fifth and got 1-2-3 innings in both the sixth and seventh.
In the top of the eighth, Pace was able to get another run across, as Jacobi picked up a two-out RBI single to score Labita and make it a 10-4 game. The Ravens got it back in the bottom of the inning on an RBI hit from Max Gebauer but couldn't get any closer as the Setters held them off the board the rest of the way to take a 10-5 victory in the opening game of the NCAA Tournament.
Up Next
Pace will now take on host Southern New Hampshire University Friday, May 19 at 11 a.m.
