FT. PIERCE, Fla. – The Neumann University baseball team recently ended a very successful trip to Florida on their annual spring break trip. The Knights went 4-1 during the week, upping their record to 7-1 for the season.
In the first contest down south, Neumann took on Muhlenberg at the Vero Beach Sports Village in Vero Beach, Florida. The Knights started their trip on the right foot, coming away with a resounding 17-5 win over the Mules. Mathieu Valliéres paced the offense, going 3-6 with four RBI and four runs scored. Derek Etsell also had three hits, while Bobby Callan and Matt Grossi added two hits apiece. The Knights used six pitchers in the contest, and Mike Dicken threw three innings to pick up the win.
The remainder of the games for the Knights would take place at the Lawnwood Complex in Fort Pierce, Florida. Up next for Neumann was a game against Ursinus College. In a much closer contest, the Knights were able to take down the Bears by a score of 6-3. Chris McIntyre picked up the win on the mound for Neumann, throwing four strong innings, allowing only one run while striking out six. Aiding McIntyre on the mound for the Knights were Josh Krautwald, Brendan Melody and Erik Klimoff. Offensively, Ross Sweeney paced Neumann going 3-for-4. Bobby McCormick and Mathieu Valliéres also had two hits for the Knights, and Matt Grossi scored two runs.
The following day, Neumann took on Penn St-Behrend. Much like their first game on the trip, the Knights pounded their opponent, dominating the Lions on their way to a 13-2 victory. Russ Gilliam got the win on the mound for Neumann, throwing five innings and allowing only two runs. Nick Martin picked up three RBI in the win, while Derek Etsell and Mathieu Valliéres picked up two RBI apiece.
In the fourth game of the trip, the Knights took on the Redhawks of LaRoche College. Matt Smith was the pitcher of record for Neumann, tossing six strong innings with six strikeouts for the win. Mike Dicken got the Knights out of trouble in the ninth, closing the game out after the Redhawks loaded the bases. Bill Pace led the way offensively for Neumann, going 2-4 with a run. Ross Sweeney also connected for a solo homer. The win gave the Knights a perfect record of 7-0 to start the season. The seven straight wins to start the year is a school record.
The last game of the trip would not go as planned, as Neumann fell 14-5 to former PAC foe Alvernia. The Crusaders banged out 16 hits against Knight pitching, while Neumann managed only five hits. Despite the sour ending to the trip, the Knights made school history by winning their first seven games and will look to build on their fast start as the season rolls on.
Box Scores
Neumann 17, Muhlenberg 5
Neumann 6, Ursinus 3
Neumann 13, PSU-Behrend 2
Neumann 4, LaRoche 2
Alvernia 14, Neumann 5
