Gaspar drilled solo home run to give the Skyhawks a 6-1 lead against national power Miami. (PHOTO BY Crystal Ayn Photography)

MIAMI, Fla. (March 6, 2024) – The Stonehill College baseball team came up short to the University of Miami, 7-6, Wednesday night. With the loss, the Skyhawks drop to an even 3-5 overall, while the Hurricanes improve to 7-5 on the season.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Senior captain Trey Ciulla-Hall extended his team-leading batting average to .433 after going 3-for-5 on the night with two doubles. 
• Junior Taylor Gaspar launched his first homerun of the season, while redshirt junior Jack Thorbahn drove in his team-best eighth run of the season.
• Freshman Braydon Gray made his first career start on the mound for the Skyhawks where he allowed just one run and three hits over 4.2 innings of work with one strikeout.
• Sophomore Blake Cyr led the Hurricanes offensive output going 2-for-3 with a pair of walks, a homerun, and four runs batted in. 
• Freshman Nick Robert (2-0) picked up the win for Miami after entering the game in the bottom of the eighth before slamming the door shut in the final frame.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Gray was exceptional in his first collegiate start for the Skyhawks, scattering a run on three hits over 4.2 innings (PHOTO BY Crystal Ayn Photography)

Stonehill wasted little time jumping out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first, as Ciulla-Hall was driven home from second by Thorbahn with an RBI single into shallow right field. After Gray set down the side in order in the bottom half of the first, the Skyhawks extended their lead to 2-0 in the top of the second when Gaspar raced home on freshman Ryan LeClair's groundball to shortstop. 

At the top of the third, redshirt sophomore Sam Parks would lead off the frame for Stonehill, working a six-pitch walk before advancing into scoring position with his second stolen base of the season. Senior Blaine Lidsky followed Parks' steal, lining a single up the middle, allowing the centerfielder to come around and score, bringing the Skyhawks lead to 3-0. Miami would respond in the bottom half when Cyr sent an RBI single up the middle, plating freshman Jake Kulikowski and cutting the deficit to 3-1. 

Graduate student Conor Kiely kicked off a two-run top of the fourth inning for the Skyhawks with an opposite-field double down the right-field line. Ciulla-Hall ripped his second double of the night through the five-hole to score Kiely from second and put himself in scoring position. The senior third baseman wasted little time advancing 90 feet away from home with his first stolen base of the season. After falling behind 0-2 in the count, Thorbahn would battle back, reaching base on a dropped third strike, allowing Ciulla-Hall to race home and score, bringing the game to 5-1 in favor of the Skyhawks. 

Stonehill extended its advantage in the top of the fifth inning to 6-1 after Gaspar launched a solo shot over the batter's eye in center field for his first round-tripper of the season. Six walks, a wild pitch, and a three-run blast off the bat of Cyr fueled the Hurricanes in the bottom half to tie the game up at six apiece. 

Miami took its first lead of the contest in the bottom of the eighth inning after freshman Daniel Duvet sent an RBI single into left field to score pinch-runner freshman Antonio Jimenez from third. After taking the lead late, the Hurricanes took the hill in the top of the ninth and set down the Skyhawks in order, to earn the narrow 7-6 victory.  

INSIDE THE BOX & NOTES

• LeClair's RBI marked the first of his career.
• Parks extended his on-base streak to seven games to start the season after reaching base in the third with a walk.
• Senior Jack Marshall moved his hitting streak to six games after going 2-for-5 at the plate.
• Senior duo of Joe Castrichini and Jordan Marot as well as the sophomore trio of Jack Iannibelli, Jimmy Gilleran, and Peter Haas (0-3) each made appearances on the mound for the Skyhawks.

UP NEXT

Stonehill (3-5, 0-0 NEC) opens Northeast Conference action this weekend with a three-game set against Maryland Eastern Shore. First pitch of Friday's series opener between the Skyhawks and Hawks at Blue Crab Stadium in Waldorf, Maryland is set for 3 p.m.

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