Pace Rallies For Twinbill Sweep Over Baseball

Nicklas hits the lone RBI in game one against the Setters

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. (April 2, 2017) – The Stonehill College baseball team dropped a doubleheader against Pace University on Sunday, April 2 in Pleasantville, New York, 5-1 and 10-2. 

Game 1: Stonehill 1 – Pace 5 (7 innings)

Kelleher drove in one of two RBIs in game two

Tyler Carey (Raynham, Massachusetts/Bridgewater-Raynham), Ben Monte (New Haven, Connecticut/Guilford), Justin Nicklas (Foxboro, Massachusetts/St. Sebastian's), Harrison Sabo (Wilton, Connecticut/Wilton), and Patrick Downey (Cheshire, Connecticut/Xavier) tallied the only hits for the Skyhawks, as the Setters combined for seven hits in seven innings.

Stonehill got on base and got on board in the top of the first as Monte doubled to left center and followed with a single to center field to score Monte. Nicklas advanced to second on a wild pitch but the Setters closed the inning with back-to-back ground balls.

Pace's bats came alive in the bottom of the fourth inning as Garrett De Lotto singled to right center with one out and the bases soon became loaded as Michael Gulino walked and Domenick Luongo singled to right field. Cory Capaldi followed up by sending the ball to deep left field for a sacrifice fly. Michael Salmonese also drove in a run with his single to left field for a 2-1 lead.

Gulino came up in the bottom of the sixth and doubled to left field and later scored on Salmonese's base hit through the left side. With two outs, Frank Mayo singled up the middle, scoring Salmonese and James Wynne for a four-run advantage, 5-1.

Game 2: Stonehill 2 – Pace 10 (7 innings)

Pace strung together seven hits to score seven runs in the bottom of the second inning for a 7-0 lead early in the game. Stonehill went down one-two-three in the top of the third, as the Setters scored two more runs in the bottom of the frame off a single from Salmonese and a wild pitch. Barbato and John Kukara scored extending its lead to 9-0.

The Skyhawks rallied with two outs in the top of the fifth as Alexander Joyce (Newton, Massachusetts/Newton North) was hit by the pitch to get on base. John Orzechowski (Monroe, Connecticut/Masuk) tripled to center field to score Joyce form first and William Kelleher (Mansfield, Massachusetts/Mansfield) singled up the middle to score the freshman from third, cutting the deficit to seven, 9-2.

The Setters closed the game in the bottom of the sixth with one more insurance run off of two hits, as Paul Piccolino grounded out to shortstop scoring Alex Pia, 10-2.

The Skyhawks (6-13, 1-1 NE10) travel to Bentley University on Monday, April 3 for a single game with a first pitch at 3:30 p.m.

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