Skyhawks Get Split Behind Giusti's Four-Hit Gem
Easton, Mass. - Matt Giusti (Hopkinton, Mass.) twirled a complete game, four-hit shutout to
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| Dave Fradette had Stonehill's only hit in the game one 7-1 loss to Pace. |
help Stonehill earn a doubleheader split with visiting Pace on Friday afternoon at Lou Gorman Field.
The win was crucial for the Skyhawks after they were held at bay in the first game of the twinbill, as the Setters banged out 16 hits en route to a 7-1 win. Stonehill only mustered one hit in game one, a leadoff double by Dave Fradette (Goffstown, N.H.) in the fourth. He eventually came around to score on a bases loaded walk, but that was the only offense the Skyhawks could produce against three Pace pitchers.
Starter Tommy Parry, who only went 3.2 innings, in part because of his six walks, was relieved by the game's most effective pitcher, Chris Camastro. Camastro went three innings and didn't allow a hit and struck out two to pick up his first career win.
The Setters were holding on to a 1-0 lead when they exploded for six runs in the fourth behind six hits and two Stonehill errors.
Nick SantaBarbara (Middleton, Mass.) took the loss for the Skyhawks, going seven innings and yielding 15 hits and five earned runs. Joey SantaBarbara (Middleton, Mass.) pitched the final two innings in relief, allowing just one hit.
Game two proved to be the exact opposite of game one, as Giusti took command early on and kept the Setters batters off balance the entire contest.
He struck out eight and didn't walk anyone, while retiring 10 of the first 11 batters he faced.
Stonehill picked up the only two runs of the game in the bottom of the third when Javier Guzman (San Juan, P.R.) smacked a double to right centerfield that scored both Mitch Davis (Bow, N.H.) and Matt Orr (Wilton, Conn.).
Ryan Healey (Lynn, Mass.), the hero in Thursday's dramatic win over Bryant, went 2-for-4 with a double in the win.
In the end, however, the story was Giusti (4-2), who tossed his third complete game of the season. It marked the fifth time in his seven appearances this season that he hasn't given up a walk. In fact, after walking three batters in his first game of the year, he has 40 strikeouts and just one walk since.
Stonehill is now 16-13 on the season and 8-6 in Northeast-10 action and will return to the diamond on Sunday when they travel to Pace for a single game beginning at 1 p.m.