Baseball splits Florida finale with Central (IA) by winning game two in walk off fashion
Joe Dimassimo wrapped up a solid Florida swing with a walk off single to lead the MCLA Baseball team to a split of the doubleheader with Central this afternoon in Lakeland, FL.
Lakeland, FL- Joe Dimassimo singled home the game winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Trailblazer baseball team a 5-4 walk off win and a split of the doubleheader. Central took the first game in convincing fashion earning a 13-0 win. MCLA ends the spring trip with a record of 4-5 while Central is now 4-7 on the season.
In game two, MCLA kept the Florida theme going as they once again rallied from an early deficit. After two and half innings of play, the Dutch led 4-0 before MCLA began to surge. The Trailblazers would score three times in the bottom of the third to get within a run at 4-3. Brett LaBonte and Christian Seriac had RBI singles while Antonio Archina added a sac fly in the inning.
The Trailblazers would tie it in the fifth inning on Joe Toledo's RBI knock but the Dutch completed a double play to end the inning. The MCLA bullpen would keep it that way setting the stage for Dimassimo's heroics.
In the seventh, LaBonte drew a leadoff walk and was pinch run for by Logan Rumbolt. He was quickly sacrificed to second and when Archina popped out, there were two outs with Dimassimo coming to bat. The lefty drilled a single into right center field and Rumbolt trotted home with the game winning run.
The hit made a winner out of Bobby New who improved to 2-0 on the season as he tossed two thirds innings of scoreless ball. Toledo, Bill Pulasky, and Dimassimo all ended with two hits as the Trailblazers and Dutch each had ten in the contest.
In the opening game, the Dutch took control early and never looked back. They scored six runs in the second off Trailblazer starting pitcher Schuyler Robinson and added four more runs of Sam Haaf in the third to take a 10-0 lead.
Nicholas Long did the rest for the Dutch as he tossed the seven inning complete game yielding just 4 hits. He struck out three and walked just two in improving to 1-1 on the season.
The Trailblazers return north and are not scheduled to play again until March 29th against New England College in a doubleheader.