HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. – The Neumann University Baseball team gave up seven runs in the eighth while falling to Atlantic East Conference rival Centenary University by a final score of 11-8 on Friday afternoon.
After a scoreless first inning,
Zion Spearman led off the top of the second with a single to centerfield.
Marcus White followed by reaching first on an error, moving Spearman to third. Two batters later, Spearman scored on a sacrifice fly by
Colton Shaub. Centenary responded by scoring twice in the bottom of the inning on a delayed double steal and an RBI single.
AJ Nardo led off the third inning with a walk, moving to second on a
Josh Finger single, and moved to third on a botched infield fly. With the bases loaded and no one out,
Andrew Curran lofted a single into right to tie the game.
Brandon Colon gave the Knights the lead when he reached on a fielder's choice to score Finger.
The Cyclones tied the game up in the fourth on an RBI double but, in the sixth, Spearman again got the offense rolling with a lead off single into left. White moved his to second on a sacrifice bunt and, two batters later, Schaub drove him in with a base hit to center, again giving Neumann a one-run lead. In the seventh, Centenary once again tied things up with an RBI single into right field.
In the eighth, B. Colon led off with a single up the middle and moved to second base on a Spearman sacrifice bunt. After moving to third on an error, Shaub smashed an RBI single hit to score B. Colon to give the Knights the lead once again. After a pitching change, Nardo hit an RBI single into the right centerfield gap to plate
Nick Glebocki for a 6-4 lead.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Cyclones took control of the game. They put up seven runs on a bases-loaded walk, a two-run single, two RBI singles, and an RBI double. In the ninth,
Joe Boccio led off with a single and Curran walked. After two outs, White tripled to drive in both runners, both that's as close as the Knights would get.
Boccio, Spearman, and Shaub each hit 2 for 4, with Spearman scoring two runs, and Shaub driving in three. White ended up driving in two runs.
Neumann (9-11, 0-6 Atlantic East) returns home for the second and third games of their three-game series against Centenary. First pitch for game one of tomorrow's doubleheader starts at noon.
