PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Friday afternoon, the Pace University baseball team split the doubleheader against Franklin Pierce University. The Blue and Gold dropped game one, 2-3, and took game two by a final score of 4-1. Following Friday's twin bill, the Setters improve to 9-7 overall and 3-2 within the Northeast-10.
Game One
The first game of the slate presented a pitcher's duel between Pace and Franklin Pierce. Patrick Gleason took the mound for the Setters while on the other side, Kyle Roche pitched for the visitors. Each pitcher tossed three scoreless innings before the hitters broke through in the fourth.
Franklin Pierce struck first with two runs in the top half of the fourth giving them the advantage over Pace. In the next half inning, the Setters tallied two of their own with RBI singles from Mason Baronian and Hunter Goldstein and after four innings of play, the score was tied 2-2.
In the next three innings, both pitchers dominated the mound with neither side bringing a run across. However, in the top of the eighth, Franklin Pierce drove a solo home run to left field to take a one-run lead, 3-2.
Anthony Labita opened the final inning with a lead-off single to put the pressure on the Ravens. Despite the lead-off base knock, the next three batters were retired by Franklin Pierce to end game one, 3-2.
The Ravens were led by the impressive pitching performance of Roche as the senior threw eight innings while striking out ten batters. Ian Battipaglia provided two hits and two runs for the visitors.
Gleason tossed eight total innings on the bump for the Blue and Gold striking out six batters. At the plate, the Setters offense was highlighted by Goldstein's two hits which included one run batted in.
Game Two (7 Innings)
In the second game of the twin bill, the Blue and Gold found momentum early driving in four first-inning runs to take a 4-0 lead. Labita launched a long home run to right center to score the first two runs while George Provel knocked in the next two with a liner down the right field line.
The four-run first inning would be all the Setters needed to fend off the Ravens as Dan Brown's stellar outing on the mound carried Pace to the 4-1 victory in the seven-inning affair.
Brown allowed just one run off two hits while striking out a career-high ten batters. At the plate, the Setters tallied nine hits with Provel and Goldstein accounting for two each. The Blue and Gold continue to find success in the top half of the order as the one through five hitters all tallied at least one hit.
Up Next
The Setters are back in action Sunday at noon for a doubleheader match-up against Saint Michael's College.
