Senior shortstop Dan Fratus went 2-for-2 with a single and a double in Stonehill's 8-0 win against Caldwell.

Duff quiets Cougars with seven shutout innings

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (February 21, 2014) – The Stonehill College baseball team used strong pitching and balanced offense to earn an 8-0 victory against Caldwell College tonight in non-conference action as part of the Ripken Experience Northeast Challenge at Griffith Field.

For the second consecutive game, Stonehill got a strong effort from its starting pitcher, as junior Jim Duff (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) worked out of a jam early before cruising through seven shutout innings. Duff allowed seven hits to go with three strikeouts and no walks in earning his first win of the season. In last night's season opener, senior Zach Soulier (Milford, Conn./Jonathan Law) had a similar performance, as he threw seven shutout innings while allowing four hits and striking out five.

Senior shortstop Dan Fratus (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) picked up his first two hits of 2014, as he went 2-for-2 with a single, a double, a walk and a run. Sophomore Brian Campbell (Franklin, Mass./Mount Saint Charles) went 2-for-5 at the plate with two singles and one RBI. Campbell is now 4-for-9 through two games this season, as he recorded two triples in Stonehill's win yesterday. Sophomore second baseman Chris Hoyt (Walpole, Mass./Xaverian Brothers) went 2-for-5 with a single, a double, and a run. Hoyt is also off to a hot start, with four hits in eight plate appearances.

Senior outfielder Billy Karalis (Pawtucket, R.I./Bishop Feehan) and junior utilityman Christian Baglini (Milford, Conn./Notre Dame High) registered one hit apiece, while junior catcher Eric Schneider (Camarillo, Calif./St. Bonaventure) collected three RBI on triple and a walk. The first five batters in Stonehill's lineup went a combined 8-for-19 with 3 RBI, 5 walks, and seven runs.

Junior Jim Duff earned the win after pitching seven shutout innings with three strikeouts and no walks.

Stonehill loaded the bases in the first inning as Hoyt doubled, Karalis walked, and Baglini was hit by a pitch, but consecutive fly outs by Fratus and senior first baseman Anthony Pagano (Cranston, R.I./Cranston West) ended the threat.

Caldwell then had an opportunity to put runs on the board in the third inning, as the Cougars loaded the bases on singles by sophomore catcher Alex Rodriguez (Merrick, N.Y./Calhoun), senior outfielder Andrew Nunez (East Elmhurst, N.Y./Cardozo), and senior shortstop Joe O'Donnell (Belleville, N.Y./Belleville). Duff induced a fly out to centerfield to end the inning and avoid damage.

Hoyt and Karalis both singled in the third inning, and Hoyt eventually came around to score the game's first run on a wild pitch by Caldwell junior starter Joseph Saverino (Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep). Saverino went 6.1 innings tonight, giving up five hits and three runs while walking four.

Stonehill broke the game open in the bottom of the seventh inning, as the Skyhawks scored four times to take a 6-0 lead. After Hoyt flied out to lead off the frame, Karalis walked and Baglini doubled to put runners on second and third. A Fratus single scored Karalis from third, and then Baglini drew a walk to load the bases. Another walk, this time by Schneider, forced home a run to put Stonehill up 4-0. The Skyhawks would score two more times in the inning and then tack on another pair of runs in the eighth.

Senior pitcher Charles DeFrancesco (Lincoln, Mass./Lincoln Sudbury) came on in relief of Duff in the eighth inning, and he pitched two shutout frames while picking up three strikeouts.

Stonehill (2-0, 0-0 NE-10) will be back in action tomorrow with a pair of games. The Skyhawks will play Molloy College at 11 a.m., and then face Pfeiffer University at 2 p.m. Caldwell (0-3, 0-0 CACC) will take on a Northeast-10 opponent for the fourth time in three days tomorrow, as the Cougars are slated to play Merrimack College at 5 p.m. Caldwell opened its season yesterday with a 7-2 loss to Southern New Hampshire University and dropped a matching 7-2 result earlier today to Franklin Pierce University.

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