ASTON, Pa. – The Neumann University Baseball team took the opener of an Atlantic East Conference doubleheader on Friday afternoon, 10-6, before falling in the finale, 15-4.
Thomas Carroll led the way for Neumann going 4 for 7 with a home run, three runs batted in, and two runs scored.
Brandon Colon was 3 for 6 with a homer, two RBI, and runs scored while
Donovan Brooks was 3 for 4 with two doubles, an RBI, a stolen base, and a run scored.
The Knights got the day going in the first thanks to a run-scoring throwing error and a run-scoring double play for the early 2-0 lead. In the second,
Anthony Rakotz doubled Neumann's lead with a two-run triple.
AJ Nardo drove in Rakotz with an RBI single to make it 5-0.
In the bottom of the inning, Centenary responded in a big way. They grabbed an RBI single, two consecutive hit by pitches with the bases loaded, and then a walk with the bases loaded to get within one. A two-run single closed the scoring in the inning to give the Cyclones a 6-5 lead. The Knights tied the game quickly, in the top of the fourth when
JerVal Shuler plated
Joe Boccio on a sacrifice fly.
Neumann grabbed the lead in the fifth on an RBI double down the right field line by
Andrew Brown. Brooks followed with his own RBI double to make it an 8-6 contest. In the sixth, the Knights pulled away on a two-run homer down the right field line by Carroll, his sixth long ball of the season.
Josh Lillis picked up the win in relief to improve his record to 1-1. In five innings of work, he allowed just four hits and walked two while striking out five.
The Cyclones took the lead in the first in the second game on a run-scoring error, an RBI double to right, and a wild pitch. They added single runs in the second and third thanks to two throwing errors after a stolen base, and an RBI single, for a 5-0 lead. In the bottom of the third, the Knights clawed back into the game with a Carroll RBI single, and
Brandon Colon's third homer of the year, a two-run shot, pulling them withing three. That is as close as they would get as the Cyclones added single runs in the fifth and sixth.
In the bottom of the sixth,
Blake Decker smashed his first collegiate home run to make it a 7-4 game but again, the Cyclones responded. They added four in the seventh, and four in the ninth to seal the win.
Neumann (24-11, 10-4), with the game one win, has clinched the second seed in the upcoming Atlantic East Conference tournament, and a home game. First, the Knights and Cyclones will close out the regular season on Saturday at noon in Hackettstown, N.J. It is scheduled for a 12:00 PM start.
