KANNAPOLIS, NC (February 23, 2024) – The Susquehanna baseball team began their weekend in North Carolina at the D3 Showcase on Friday evening, getting a strong outing from starter Ryan Redmond and some solid hits, but ultimately falling to the University of Rochester 7-6.
Redmond had an impressive day on the bump, reaching the 7th inning of the game while fanning eight batters and allowing just six hits. After the day began with Rochester scoring on an RBI triple in the 1st and adding a solo home run in the second, the junior settled in well and did not allow a single baserunner for the next three innings. Meanwhile, after a slow start at the plate, the River Hawks would rally in the top of the 4th, scoring four runs to take the lead. Thomas Romanelli would come up clutch with the bases loaded and two outs, ripping a triple into right center field and clearing the bases, picking up three RBIs and giving SU the lead. First-year Chris Orrego would follow that up with a single, bringing Romanelli home and making the score 4-2.
Rochester fought back in the bottom of the sixth, drawing a two-out walk before seeing that runner come home to score on a single up the middle, reducing the lead back to one. After SU scored two more runs in the top of the 7th thanks to a double from Michael Biuso, a fielding error, a walk for Sean McCulloch, some savvy baserunning, and a sacrifice fly from Tony Rossi, Redmond returned to the mound in the 7th with a three-run cushion. He would face the first two batters of the inning, walking the first before seeing that runner advance to second on a passed ball. A single to the next hitter signaled the end of Redmond's day, but those runners would prove instrumental in taking away SU's lead and Redmond's potential win. Teagan Duffie would come in for relief duty, but a walk and two hits, including a two-RBI triple would see Rochester score four runs before Duffie could get out of the inning.
The River Hawks would go down in order in the top of the 8th, but Brice Gregory would come in to pitch and held firm, keeping the gap at just one run going into the top of the 9th. SU would be unable to get any rally going in the frame, with two batters striking out before a groundout ended the game.
Extra-base hits were key in the game, with five of the 16 combined hits between the two teams going for extra bases and seven of the 13 combined runs scoring on those hits. Rossi had another strong day at the plate to lead the River Hawks, going 3 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI, giving him six RBIs in the first three games of the season. He also swiped a pair of bags, joining with McCulloch, who got on base twice on walks and also pulled off two stolen bases.
The team will return to action tomorrow afternoon for the second of their three games over the course of the weekend in Kannapolis. They'll face off against Berry College (GA), a team SU knows well as they faced and beat them in extra innings at the same event last season. That game will begin at noon.
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--RIVER HAWKS--
