FORT PIERCE, FL - Susquehanna collected two wins from Sunday's slate of games in Fort Pierce, FL to kick off their spring break trip.
Game 1: Susquehanna 11, Vermont St.-Lyndon 1
Jack Greco fanned a career-high eleven and did not give up a run through 6.2 innings as Susquehanna collected a run-rule victory over Vermont St.-Lyndon in the opener. He was backed by strong performances at the plate, with the River Hawks managing 11 runs on 13 hits in the contest.
Jack Cahill got the scoring going in the bottom of the first for the River Hawks, bringing home
Tony Rossi and
Michael Gagliardi. Junior utility man
Dylan Heyduk made it 3-0 in the bottom of the second with an RBI double that scored
Owen Ayers.
After neither side managed a run from the third inning through the top of the seventh, the River Hawks exploded for five runs after the stretch after
Dominic Giglio stranded the bases loaded after relieving Greco with two outs. Heyduk was hit by a pitch, Rossi doubled, sending Heyduk to third, and Gagliardi was also plunked, setting up Cahill's two-run single to give him 4 RBI for the day.
CJ Orrego brought home Gagliardi with an RBI single, and
Joe Healy brought both Cahill and Orrego in with a two-run double after a double steal.
The Hornets pulled a run back in the top of the eighth, but the run was unearned on Giglio's line as the first-year struck out two in the inning. Three doubles kicked off the final half-inning, with Heyduk, Rossi, and Gagliardi all hitting two-baggers. Gagliardi was plated on a sac fly by Orrego to settle the score by way of a 10-run advantage after seven innings, bringing the run rule into effect.
Greco collected the win after an impressive showing, striking out 11 while only allowing two hits.
Game 2: Susquehanna 4, Kenyon 2
In the second game against Kenyon, Susquehanna was held off the board through the first five innings, with the Owls getting a strong start from left-hander Frank Lynch. However, once Lynch was relieved in the sixth, the River Hawks burst into life with three runs in the top of the sixth with the game still knotted at 0-0.
The River Hawks got a strong inning started with a one-out knock off the bat of
Sam Martucci, who advanced to second when Cahill reached on catcher's interference. Behind Cahill, Orrego added a base hit to right field that scored Martucci, and Cahill would come around to score next on a single to right field by
Aidan Proctor. A sacrifice bunt laid down by
Tyler Hmielewski scored Orrego, which made the score 3-0.
Evan Applegate was handed the ball to start the game for the first time this season, and he did not disappoint, striking out three while allowing just three hits in a game where he picked up the win after shutting Kenyon out over the course of six innings.
The River Hawks added an insurance run in the top of the eighth, with
Lucas Zachesky picking up his first career hit to score Orrego, who had reached on an error.
Kenyon pulled two unearned runs back in the bottom of the eighth on the line of
Christian Rossi, who handed the ball off to
Jaden Buechler who stranded the tying run on second with the bases loaded with a strikeout. Buechler punched out two more in the bottom of the ninth, slamming the door on the Owls to collect his first career save.
With the wins,
Denny Bowers '01's team move to 3-3 on the young season having won three consecutive games. They are in action again on Monday, March 3, with games against Heidelberg and Alvernia. In their sweep of the day's games, the River Hawks did not allow an earned run.
