SCRANTON, Pa. – The Neumann University Baseball team defeated Marywood University on Friday afternoon in the opener of this weekend's Atlantic East Conference three-game series by a final score of 18-4.
Chris Balshuweit was a triple shy of the cycle as he went 4 for 5 with a homer, a double, two runs batted in, and three runs scored.
Anthony Rakotz was also 4 for 5 with a double, and RBI, and four runs scored.
Brandon Colon was 3 for 4 with a home run, a walk, a stolen base, six RBI, and two runs scored.
Rakotz led off the game with a single down the left field line and moved to second when
AJ Nardo walked.
Thomas Carroll moved both runners up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt and
Joe Boccio plated the game's first run with an RBI single to right. B. Colon followed by sending a 1-1 pitch screaming over the centerfield wall for his second homer of the year, making it a 4-0 game. In the bottom of the inning, Marywood responded with a solo home run.
In the second,
Josh Finger led off with an infield hit and advanced to third on a
Donovan Brooks single. Brooks was then picked off, but Finger was able to score when Rakotz reached third on an error. Nardo made it a 6-1 game on a sacrifice fly to score Rakotz. After Carroll walked, he moved to third as Boccio snuck a base hit through the right side. Colon drifted a single into the right-field gap allowing Carrol to score, extending the lead to six.
In the top of the third, RBI singles by Nardo by Boccio made it a 10-1 game but in the bottom of the frame, the Pacers tried to pick away at their deficit with two RBI singles and a sacrifice fly, pulling them within six. Neumann added more in the fourth thanks to a Brooks two-run single, a bases-loaded walk issued to Carroll, and a two-run single by B. Colon.
Balshuweit led off the fifth with a solo blast to right, his second home run in as many games. Later in the inning, Nardo drove in a run on an RBI double for a 17-4 lead. Balshuweit again struck in the sixth with an RBI double to close out the scoring.
Nick Colon earned the complete game victory on the mound, his first collegiate complete game, improving his record to 5-1. He gave up four runs, all earned, on nine hits and a walk, while striking out five.
Neumann (21-8, 7-3 Atlantic East) has now won six in a row and will look to continue their winning streak on Sunday as they complete this three-game series with a doubleheader at Bruder Field against Marywood University at 12:00 PM.
