CARY, N.C. – On Friday, the Pace University baseball team was defeated by Slippery Rock University in both games of the opening-day doubleheader. The Blue and Gold lost 2-3 in game one, and 2-3 in the second match-up after a 12-inning battle.
Game One (7 innings) – Pace 2, Slippery Rock 3
Pace kicked off their 2024 regular season on the right note with an RBI single from Mason Baronian before Slippery Rock had a chance to step up to the plate.
Despite the quick start, Slippery Rock answered immediately in the bottom of the first behind a single and hit-by-pitch that set-up a two-run triple from Gage Gillott. After the first inning of 2024 baseball, the Setters trailed by a run, 1-2.
After the offensive first inning, the starting pitchers would find momentum, tossing five innings of scoreless baseball until the next run scored in the seventh inning.
Patrick Gleason took the bump for Pace in the first game. After giving up two runs in the opening inning, Gleason settled down and allowed just three hits in the next four.
In the seventh and final inning of game one, the Setters capitalized on a two-out rally from a walk and steal from Matthew Rina. A single by Hunter Goldstein advanced Rina to third base where he would be sent home on a sacrifice fly from Baronian marking the junior's second run batted in of the game. Pace entered the final inning tied at 2.
In the bottom of the seventh, Slippery Rock took advantage of back-to-back walks to push home the game-winning run on a walk-off single from Koby Bubash to capture the 3-2 win over Pace.
The Setters offense was highlighted by a two-RBI knock from Baronian and a three-walk game that included a single from the two-hole hitter Matthew Rinaldi.
Slippery Rock was led by a three-hit performance from Bubash and a two RBI game from Gage Gillott. On the mound, Parker Hogge secured the win after tossing 3.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
Game Two (12 innings) – Pace 2, Slippery Rock 3
Game two between Pace and Slippery Rock would need extra-innings as neither team could claim victory after seven innings of play.
Dan Brown took the ball for Pace in the second game of the twin-bill. The senior produced one of his most productive days on the mound to jump start his fourth year with the squad. He tallied a career-high nine strikeouts in six innings while allowing just one run on three base knocks.
The impressive performance would come up short of a win despite Pace taking another early lead in the top of the first. Matt Franco and Mason Baronian both made a statement in the first inning on two RBI singles to give Pace a 2-0 lead.
The Pace bats would go quiet the rest of the way as they could not tally another run throughout the extended contest. Slippery Rock made use of two singles in the sixth to trim into the Pace lead 2-1.
The following inning, a long home run from Darryn Callahan tied the game at 2-2. Pace escaped the inning after back-to-back strikeouts from Robert Gilchrist to send game two into extra innings.
The next four innings would not have a runner cross the plate as the 2-2 score remained in the top half of the 12th inning. Slippery Rock would make the most of an error by Pace as Callahan reached base and then advanced on a ground ball to the shortstop. The next batter put an end to the 12-inning affair with an RBI single to secure the win for Slippery Rock, 3-2.
Up Next
Pace falls to 0-2 to begin the year, and will continue their weekend in Cary, N.C. against Wilmington University (Del.) tomorrow with first pitch set for 9:30 a.m.
