Baseball Starts Season by Sweeping Doubleheader at Yeshiva University

WEST HARRISON, N.Y. – The MCLA Baseball Team opened their 2024 campaign this afternoon with a non-conference doubleheader at Yeshiva University. Clarence Givhans droved in four runs across the two games, Nate Morse struck out eight in three innings of game one, and four Trailblazers combined for a one-hitter in game two.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Sunday, February 25, 2024
• Game #1: MCLA 3, Yeshiva 1
• Game #2: MCLA 7, Yeshiva 0
• Records: MCLA Trailblazers 2-0 (MASCAC 0-0) | Yeshiva University Maccabees 0-2 (Skyline 0-0)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Game #1
  • Yeshiva was the first on the scoreboard, scoring one run on an RBI single by Coby Kamish in the bottom of the first inning.
  • The Trailblazers responded with three runs in the top of the fourth inning. Ty Mazzeo led off the inning, reaching on an error by the Maccabee's pitcher. Jayco Pena moved him over with a sacrifice bunt before Josh Bologh walked. A passed ball allowed both to move up a base and then Matt Damon worked a walk that loaded the bases and drove the pitcher from the game. Edison Galan welcomed the new pitcher with an RBI walk that brought Mazzeo home. Clarence Givhans brought Damon and Bologh home with a double to right field.
  • Nate Morse earned the win after striking out eight of the 12 batters he faced over three innings. Aidan Brett struck out five in two innings, while Isiah Tucker and Givhans each struck out the side in one inning of work.
• Game #2
  • After the teams combined for one hit in the first two shutout innings, MCLA burst forth with four runs in the top of the third. Justin Hernandez led the inning off and was hit by a pitch. Galan then moved him over with a single back to the pitcher, and both moved up a base when the pitcher's throw went wide of the mark. Givhans then hit his second two-RBI double of the day, this one into the left-field gap. After Givhans moved to third on an error by the pitcher, Joshua Bissaillon brought him home with a single to right field. Two batters later, Bissaillon scored on a double to right by Mazzeo.
  • William Walsh led off with a single in the top of the fourth, followed by Hernandez reaching on a hit-by-pitch. Galan brought both around to score with a double to left. Jacob Morren helped Hernandez complete the circuit two batters later with a grounder back to the pitcher.
  • The Trailblazers added another insurance run in the top of the sixth inning. Rob Correia started the inning by reaching on an error by the first baseman and was replaced by Morren on a fielder's choice. Michael Wormuth pinch-ran for Morren and promptly stole second base. Matt Castillo walked, and Castillo and Wormuth pulled off a double steal to move to second and third base. Clayton Dutfield then walked to load the bases, and Henry Blake brought Wormuth home with an RBI walk.
  • Four MCLA pitchers combined for a one-hitter, with Bissaillon earning the win after tossing four no-hit innings to open the game. Correia, Jaden Palumbo, and Garrett Brunette each tossed one shutout inning to close the game out.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• The Trailblazers' batters combined for 16 walks between the two games, while their pitchers struck out 26 batters for the afternoon.
• Four different MCLA players combined for five stolen bases in game two, the most the team has recorded in a game since they matched that total against Maine Presque Isle on March 15 of last year. The six stolen bags between the two games were the most they have taken in a doubleheader since taking eight in the season opener last year against this same Yeshiva team.
• Chris Vargas had a multi-hit showing in the first game with a pair of singles, while Galan and Walsh had multiple hits in the second game, including a double for Galan.

UP NEXT:

On Friday, March 8, MCLA will be back in action when they travel to Florida for their annual spring break trip to the RussMatt Tournament around Orlando. They will open the trip with a non-conference doubleheader with Martin Luther College at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex. First pitch is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.

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