CNBNews

HOBOKEN, N.J. (March 29, 2013) – The Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team earned a split in the opening Empire 8 Conference doubleheader against St. John Fisher College on Friday afternoon at Dobbelaar Field. Stevens dropped Game One, 10-7, but fought back for a 9-5 Game Two victory to salvage the split. The Ducks are now 10-6 overall, 1-1 in the Empire 8, while St. John Fisher is 9-6 and 1-1.

Game One: St. John Fisher 10, Stevens 7

In the opener, Stevens struck first with a two-out solo home run from junior Dan Allen (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.) in the bottom of the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead. Allen went 2-for-3 in Game One with three runs batted in, two runs scored and a walk. He picked up his two other RBI in his next two at bats with the bases loaded each trip to the plate.

Fisher answered back with two runs of its own in the top of the third inning to begin a string of four consecutive innings with at least two runs scored. Nick Flemister led off the top of the third for Fisher with a solo homer to the alley in left field and then Chris Roeder drove in Ben Webb on a single to right three batters later.

The Ducks knotted the game back up at 2-2 in the bottom half of the frame after a walk to sophomore Marc Calleo (Bayville, N.Y.) and back-to-back singles by junior Curt Lowenstein (Egg Harbor Township, N.J) and freshman Nicholas Sieber (Shrewsbury, Mass.) loaded the bases with one out for Allen. Allen then singled to left field to drive in Calleo, but Lowenstein was gunned down at home for the second potential run of the inning.

In the fourth, Fisher tacked on two runs after a double by Brad Rush and a walk to Flemister put runners on the corners. A single by Ben Webb plated Rush and another base hit from Ben Bostick drove in Flemister.

Sophomore Peirce Marston (Silver Spring, Md.) got the starting nod on the mound for Stevens and pitched into the fifth before being replaced by senior Kevin Mathews (Jackson, N.J.) with two outs and two runners on. After the change, the Cardinals stroked back-to-back singles to plate a pair of runs and extend their lead to 6-3.

Marston was dealt the loss in 4.2 innings pitched. He allowed six hits and five runs (four earned) with four strike outs and a pair of walks.

Fisher was poised to blow the game wide open in the sixth by putting a four-spot on the board, which was highlighted by a towering three-run round-tripper by Sean Osterman to left field to make the score 9-3. A double by Matt Creenan brought Rush across the dish for the final run of the inning.

Stevens would not go down without a fight; however, as it crossed two more runs in the bottom of the sixth and two more in the seventh. In the sixth, freshman Jayson Yano (Foothill Ranch, Calif.) and sophomore Ryan Mannello (Staten Island, N.Y.) singled to lead off the inning and advanced a base on a groundout. A wild pitch scored Yano and a groundout plated Mannello to make the score a 10-5 difference.

In the Ducks’ final at bats, Allen scored on a single from senior Michael Donovan (Frisco, Texas)after reaching by way of a walk. Yano and Mannello followed with base hits to bring Donovan home and made the score, 10-7. Sophomore Brian Hennelly (Holbrook, N.Y.) stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter and potential tying run but grounded out to end the game.

Sean Badger earned the victory for Fisher in five innings pitched with five punch outs. Badger gave up seven hits and two walks in the outing.

Stevens’ one-through-six hitters accounted for all 12 hits in the opener.

Game Two: Stevens 9, Fisher 5

The Ducks again wasted no time to take an early lead as they put up three runs in their first hacks of the nightcap. After the first two batters of the stanza were retired, Allen singled and then stole second. Donovan drove Allen in on a single of his own for the first run of the game. Donovan advanced on a wild pitch and scored on the third straight hit of the rally from Yano. Yano moved up on a steal and came home after a throwing error by the Fisher second baseman to cap off the inning.

Fisher displayed its own two-out rally in the top of the second by way of a three-run homer from Shane Barley on a full count. A single and walk put two runners on for the Cardinals with one out and after a strike out, Barley smacked the tying blast to right field.

Stevens went down quietly in the second but built a 7-3 after the third inning with four runs in the frame which chased Fisher starter Tom Dybas out of the contest after 2.2 innings pitched. Sophomore Marc Calleo (Bayville, N.Y.) dealt the big blow of the inning with a two-run triple to center after the ball scooted by a diving Osterman and scored Mannello and Sieber.

Dybas allowed seven runs over 2.2 innings on eight hits with three strike outs.

In the fourth, the Ducks put two more runs on the board and could have scored more if it weren’t for a robbed three-run home run by Osterman in dead centerfield off the bat of Mannello. With two on and no out, Mannello hit a drive to straightaway center, but Osterman fell through the fence and made a terrific catch to keep all three runs off the board. Donovan moved up to third on a tag up and Yano stole second a few pitches later which allowed Sieber to knock both in on a single down the left field line.

Fisher tried to claw back into the game with one run in the fifth and sixth innings but could not string a rally together to produce more offense.

Sophomore Matt Buccheri (Little Silver, N.J.) picked up the win in five innings pitched with three strike outs. Buccheri gave up five hits and four earned runs before giving way to freshman Ryan Patterson (Staten Island, N.Y.) who sat down four batters over the final two innings.

Stevens’ offense was spread throughout all nine hitters in Game Two and the Ducks swiped seven bags in the victory.

Both teams will be back in action tomorrow for another doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. at Dobbelaar Field.