WINCHESTER, VA (March 1, 2023) – The Susquehanna baseball team began their three-game stretch in Virginia hosted by Shenandoah University with a big-time comeback victory over Eastern Connecticut State on neutral ground, forcing extra innings before winning on a walk-off homerun blast by Tony Rossi, setting the final score at 6-5 and ending a three-game losing skid for the River Hawks.
SU fell behind earlier as a patient ECS offense was able to work five walks in the first two innings and add an RBI double enroute to a 2-0 lead after the first two innings. After having a potential first run for Susquehanna caught out at home in the bottom of the 1st, the River Hawks got on the board with a bang in the bottom of the 3rd as Tyler Hmielewski came to the plate to lead off the inning and launched his first career home run over the right field fence, cutting the Warriors' lead in half. The scoring wasn't done, as Michael Biuso got on base with a one-out double and then came home to score on an RBI double from Tony Rossi, picking up the first of his two RBIs on the day.
ECS would restore their two-run advantage in the top of the 6th inning, ending the outing of starter Ryan Redmond after 5.2 innings. Brice Gregory would take the mound in relief duty. He allowed no runs and just one hit while fanning a pair of hitters to keep the Warriors within reach through the 7th inning. The bottom of that inning would see Susquehanna surge back for a second time, taking their first lead of the game with a three-run frame. With two outs on the board and Dylan Heyduk on first after singling, Hmielewski came up clutch at the plate once again, hitting a double to left field and moving Heyduk to third. Sean McCulloch kept the rally going with a double down the left field line, picking up a pair of RBIs while tying the game as Heyduk and Hmielewski scored. McCulloch then stole third before coming home to score on a single up the middle from Biuso, making the score 5-4.
The Warriors plated one run in response in the top of the 8th on a sacrifice fly but were unable to put together a two-out rally of their own and stranded the potential leading run on third base, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. Joseph Healy came in to pinch-hit in the bottom of the 8th and hit a two-out ground-rule double but was also left stranded. One runner would reach base for ECS in the 9th, but Vincent Mariella would enter the game and slam the door, striking out the final batter of the frame. SU would go down in order in the bottom of the 9th to send the game into extra innings, but Mariella continued his clutch performance by striking out the side in the top of the 10th inning.
The game would end in storybook fashion, as Rossi came to the plate with no one on and one out and launched his first home run of the campaign over the wall in left center, picking up his second RBI of the day. Mariella would be credited with the win after throwing 1.1 innings and striking out all four of the batters he faced.
After beginning the weekend with a win over Eastern Connecticut State, who sit just outside the National Top 25 poll, the River Hawks now set their sights on the hosts, who enter the weekend ranked #4 in the poll. Susquehanna will play Shenandoah twice, first on Saturday at 11 am, then ending the weekend with a second game on Sunday at noon.
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--RIVER HAWKS--
