Kannapolis, N.C. (February 24, 2023) – The Susquehanna University baseball team began their three-game, three-day stay at the D3 Baseball Showcase Friday with a 7-6 win over Piedmont at Atrium Health Park. The Riverhawks improve to 4-0, with matchups against Berry and #18 Denison the next two days.
Piedmont took the first lead at 1-0 in the top of the second before
Tony Rossi delivered a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to give SU a 3-1 lead. It didn't last long as the Lions put up a three spot in the top of the fifth thanks to a sacrifice fly, an RBI single, and an RBI double. Riverhawks starting pitcher
Dillan Weikel was relieved by
Landon Ness to get the final out in the frame, successfully doing so with a groundout to second to keep it a 4-3 game in favor of Piedmont.
Aidan Martin would then take the mound for the River Hawks in the top of the sixth, sitting the Piedmont batters down in order. Susquehanna's bats then came alive in the bottom of the sixth for four runs.
Michael Mancuso put them back in front with a bases-loaded two-run double, followed by an RBI single from
J.P. Yore and sacrifice fly from
Jack Cahill for a 7-4 lead. Piedmont chipped away at the lead with a pair of RBI singles in the seventh and ninth innings, but with a runner on first and the go-ahead run at the plate, Martin ended any comeback hopes with his fourth strikeout, sealing the win for himself and the River Hawks.
The Riverhawks took the win despite collecting just five hits to the Lions' 12. Rossi's three-run blast served as his only hit of the day in a 1-for-3 afternoon, drawing one walk and coming across for two of SU's runs. The same goes for Mancuso, whose two-run double served him well in the face of a 1-for-4 afternoon.
Brock Veit batted 2-for-3 with one walk, while Yore was 1-for-4 to account for the rest of Susquehanna's hits.
Weikel posted seven strikeouts in his 4.2+ innings of work, allowing eight hits with four earned runs and just one walk. Martin tallied the win, allowing only two earned runs and four hits in his 4.0 innings of service.
Susquehanna's Saturday matchup with Berry is slated for 4:30 p.m., while Sunday's meeting with Denison is set for 9:00 a.m.
