ASTON, Pa. – The Neumann University baseball team opened Atlantic East Conference action with a sweep of Wesley College on Saturday afternoon. The Knights won both contests by a 7-6 score.
Prior to the games, the Knights honored its seniors:
Andrew La Rosa,
Colin Pollard,
Andrew Fowler,
Marty Cortellessa,
Josh Cruz,
Kyle Eppright,
Zach Ray and
Tyler Ramos.
In the first game,
Ryan Lopez went 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBI and two runs scored.
Will Hart started the game and went 6.2 innings. He allowed six runs on six hits and struck out four.
Tyler Szilagyi picked up the win, getting the final out in the top of the seventh.
The Knights didn't waste anytime and scored a run in the first inning as Pollard scored on a wild pitch. In the second, Lopez hit a two-run single to score
Shawn Vega and Cortellessa.
The Wolverines put a single run on the board in the top of the third and the fifth to pull within one, 3-2. In the bottom of the fifth, Lopez scored on a sacrifice fly by Ray.
The Knights held the 4-2 lead heading into the top of the seventh, of the seven inning contest. The Wolverines were not going down quietly and put together four runs on four hits to take a 6-4 lead. That set up and exciting bottom of the seventh for Neumann. With two runners on,
Cris Diaz stepped to the plate and hit a three-run walk-off homerun to give the Knights the 7-6 win in game one.
Andrew Curran started the second game for the Knights and went 5.2 innings for the no decision. He allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits and struck out six.
Brennan Hatala got the win, going 1.1 innings in relief. He allowed two runs on two hits.
Pat Leighton got the save, pitching scoreless eighth and nine innings.
The Wolverines struck first this game, scoring a run in the top of the second. The Knights answered right back as Diaz scored on a sacrifice fly by Cortellessa.
Neumann took advantage of some Wesley errors in the third and scored three runs. Lopez knocked in a pair and came around to score on an error. Lopez scored again in the fifth on a single by Diaz.
Wesley plated three runs in the top of the sixth to pull within one, 5-4. In the home half of the sixth, Fowler doubled to knock in Cortellessa. The Wolverines answered with two runs in the top of the seventh to pull even at six.
In the bottom of the seventh, Ray doubled and came around to score on a single by
Jose Romero. Leighton came in to pitch the eighth and ninth innings, picking up the save in the 7-6 win.
Neumann (3-0, 2-0 Atlantic East) will wrap up the three-game series with Wesley on Monday as it hits the road for the first time. First pitch is slated for 3:30 PM.
