ASTON, Pa – The Neumann University Baseball team took two straight Atlantic East Conference games against the Gwynedd Mercy University Griffins on Sunday afternoon. The final scores were 7-2 and 6-5.
Gwynedd Mercy got on the board in the top of the first inning with an RBI sacrifice fly and an RBI single. Neumann responded didn't take long to recover as
Brandon Colon led off the bottom of the inning with a walk and moved to second on a
Shawn Vega single. Two batters later,
Isaiah Payton walked, and
Chris Balshuweit tied the game single a two-run single up the middle.
Andrew Curran followed with an RBI single, and with
Josh Finger up, Balshuweit scored on a passed ball. Finger then singled down the left field line, scoring Curran for a 5-2 lead.
With two outs in the second,
Ryan Lopez singled to centerfield. Payton followed with a single to put two on base. Balshuweit struck again, this time with a two-run triple to extend the lead to five. From there, neither team would be able to add to their run tally as Knights grabbed the game.
Lopez led the way going 3 for 4 with a run. Balshuweit was 2 for 3 with a triple, four runs batted in, and a run scored.
Morgan D'Amico was solid in a three inning start, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits, and two strikeouts.
Nick Colon picked up the win in relief, finishing off the last four innings. He gave up four hits and two walks while fanning three. His record now stands at 2-3 on the year.
Neumann continued to play from the front in game two as B. Colon singled and Vega slashed a two-run opposite field homer, his team-leading fifth of the year, for a 2-0 lead. With one out in the second, Finger singled up the middle and advanced to second on a
Jonathan Baker walk.
Nick Glebocki would drive in Finger with an RBI single, extending the lead to three.
The Griffins started to chip at the lead in the third with an RBI double. They pulled within a run in the fourth on an RBI single. Gwynedd Mercy came all the way back and took the lead in the sixth with a two run single and an RBI double, and they had a 5-3 lead.
In the eighth, the Knights would put together a comeback much like Friday afternoon's series opener. With one out, Payton reached on an error and Balshuweit doubled down the right field line, pushing Payton to third. After a pitching change, Curran drove them both in on a two-run single to center. He was able to move all the way to third on a fielding error.
Thomas Carroll pinch ran for Curran and scored the winning run when Finger singled to center, giving the Knights the sweep of the three-game weekend set.
B. Colon and Finger were both 2 for 4 with Finger adding an RBI and a run scored. Curran was 1 for 3 with two RBI.
Zach Mullins got a no-decision in four innings of work. He allowed two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out one.
Vic Mejia was sharp in relief with a hitless inning of work, adding a strikeout. He grabbed the win to improve to 1-1. Balshuweit picked up the save, his first, by striking out the side in the top of the ninth.
Neumann (12-15, 3-6 Atlantic East) will be back in action on Tuesday afternoon with a non-conference game against Salisbury University. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 PM
