Michael Zeiner knocked in four runs on the day including three in the win over Felician (PHOTO BY Richard Orr) |
Zeiner's big day helps Stonehill split a doubleheader with WVWC and Felician
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (February 22, 2013) – The Stonehill baseball team split a pair of games between the West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats and the Felician Golden Falcons in the Ripken Northeast Challenge Experience at Myrtle Beach, S.C.
West Virginia Wesleyan 2, Stonehill 1 (nine innings)
Stonehill falls as West Virginia Wesleyan records the game-winning run in the ninth.
Senior Aaron Adams (Crooksville, Ohio/Crooksville) pitched a complete game for the Bobcats, giving up five hits, three walks, and one earned run. Adams struck out seven batters and retired the final 11 batters he faced to earn his first win of the year.
Sophomore Jim Duff (Garden City, N.Y.) earned the loss for Stonehill. Duff gave up two runs on just two hits and three walks in an eight and one-third inning complete game. The sophomore struck out six batters and retired eight straight batters from the first inning through the third.
The Bobcats jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning. J.R. Tenney (Buckhannon, W.Va./Buckhannon-Upshur) launched a one-out double and advanced to third on a wild pitch. The sophomore scored on a passed ball to give Wesleyan the early advantage.
The Skyhawks knotted the game at 1-1 in the fifth on Michael Zeiner's (Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) RBI single. Billy Karalis (Pawtucket, R.I./Bishop Feehan) hit a lead-off triple before Zeiner brought him home with the single.
Stonehill threatened again in the top of the sixth following a Dan Fratus (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) single and a Brian Hocking (Duxbury, Mass./BC High) walk, but the Skyhawks failed to drive in the runners and the game remained 1-1 until the bottom of the ninth.
Tenney reached on an error to lead off the inning and Ryan Lewicki (Moundsville, W.Va./John Marshall) walked to put the winning run on second. Aaron Wiegel (Canonsburg, Pa./Canan-McMillion) sacrificed the runners over to make it second and third with one out. Corey Lynn (Meadville, Pa./Meadville) then successfully completed a suicide squeeze to drive in the winning run for the Bobcats.
Armond Rugel Collected his second save of the season in his second appearance of the year (PHOTO BY Richard Orr) |
Stonehill 7, Felician 4
Zeiner recorded three RBIs and the Skyhawks knocked off Felician College in the second game of the day.
Mike Krupczak (Springfield, Mass./Cathedral) earned the win for Stonehill in relief. Krupczak pitched an inning and two-thirds posting three strikeouts and letting up three hits, three walks, and one earned run. Armand Rugel (Middletown, R.I.) earned his second save of the season. Rugel pitched the final two innings for Stonehill, striking out three batters in the process.
Freshman John Hauck (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn-Trafford) started the game and went four innings for the Skyhawks. Hauck gave up three runs, two earned, on six hits and two walks. The freshman recorded a strikeout in his first collegiate appearance.
Chris Falcone (Staten Island, N.Y./St Joseph by-the-Sea) pitched four innings, giving up four runs (three earned) and was charged with the loss for Felician. Falcone gave up four hits, walked four batters and struck out three in his second appearance of the season.
Stonehill grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the first inning when James DeAlto (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y./Briarcliff) scored on a wild pitch and Zeiner knocked in Fratus with an RBI single.
The Golden Knights made it 2-1 in the second when Andrew Lombardi (Boonton, N.J./Montville) singled in Chris Ayala (Marlboro, N.J./Marlboro) for his first RBI of the season. Felician tied it up in the second when Mike Farrell (Red Bank, N.J./Middletown South) reached on a throwing error, scoring Eric Pecoraro (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North).
The Skyhawks regained the lead in the bottom of the third when Zeiner hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Karalis. Zeiner's sac fly was his second RBI of the game and third of the day.
After Felician tied it up in the fourth, Stonehill took the lead for good in the bottom of the inning when Eric Schneider (Camarillo, Calif./St. Bonaventure) stole home to make it 4-3. Zeiner added his fourth RBI of the day when he knocked in an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth.
Stonehill (2-1) returns to action tomorrow morning at 10:30 when it takes on Molloy College.
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