Baseball splits doubleheader with Maine-Presque-Isle

Auburndale, FL—The MCLA Baseball team split a doubleheader earlier today with Maine-Presque Isle in the RussMatt Invitational at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale, Florida. The Trailblazers took game one 9-4 but fell to the Owls in game two, 12-5. With the results MCLA is now 6-3 while Maine-Presque Isle moves to 1-7.

Game One         MCLA 9               UMPI 4

MCLA would get things started in game one in the top of the 1^st inning with a Randy Adams (1-for-2, 3 RBI's) sacrifice fly to drive in Austin Rachiele (4-for-4, 3 R) and a Noel Medina (2-for-5, 2 RBI's) single bringing Clarence Givhans (2-for-4, 2 R, RBI) home to give MCLA a 2-0 lead.

With the bases loaded in the 2^nd Givhans was hit by a pitch and Adams walked, to push the Trailblazer lead to 4-0.

An RBI base hit by Medina, a 2-run double by Jayco Pena (3-for-5, 2 RBI's) and a sacrifice fly by Justin Hernandez (2-for-4, RBI) would stretch the Trailblazer lead to 8-0 after three and a half innings. But UMPI would respond with four runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning to stay within striking distance at 8-4.

A pair of doubles by Rachiele and Adams in the top of the 7^th would give MCLA an insurance run that they would not end up needing as relievers Garrett Brunette and Vincent Scappaticcio prevented any threat from the Owls to develop, preserving the 9-4 win.

Trailblazer starting pitcher Brian Rosario (W, 3-0) allowed 4 earned runs on four hits, striking out 7 UMPI batters in five innings pitched. Owl starter Ian McCay (L, 0-1) allowed 7 earned runs on eleven hits in four innings pitched in the loss.

Game Two         UMPI 12             MCLA 5

After giving up a run in the top of the 1^st, MCLA would answer with two runs in the bottom half. Rachiele (2-for-5, RBI) would steal second after a lead off single and then be brought home thanks to a Givhans (1-for-3, RBI) triple to right. An Adams (2-for-4, RBI) single to center would make it 2-1 after one.

Though MCLA would add a run in each off the next two innings, the Owls would take advantage of several Trailblazer defensive mistakes on their way to scoring three runs in the top of the 2^nd and four more in the top of the 3^rd to establish a 7-4 lead.

UMPI would again be the beneficiaries of two more Trailblazer errors and a wild pitch in the top of the 6^th enroute to scoring four more runs to swell their lead to 12-4.

MCLA would score one in the bottom of the 7^th when a Hernandez (1-for-1, RBI) single drove in Medina (1-for-3) to make the final 12-5.

UMPI starter Dakota Morrow (W, 1-0) would pitch a five-run, nine-hit complete game to lead the Owls to their first victory of the season. Trailblazer starting pitcher Jason Palumbo (L, 0-2) would take the loss for MCLA though only allowing one earned run in his 2 1/3 innings pitched.

Both teams wrap up their Spring Break trips tomorrow as UMPI takes on SUNY Poly in a 9:15am/11:15am doubleheader and MCLA battles Dickinson College in a 2pm single game.