CRANBURY, N.J. – The Sacred Heart University baseball team was swept by Marist, 5-0 and 2-0, in non-conference action at Rowland Park on Sunday afternoon. SHU pitchers allowed five earned runs in 17 innings of work, but the Pioneers could only generate 10 hits. Jayson Sullivan went 3-7 between the two games, while Robbie Maguire and Jason Foley each allowed two runs over 5.1 and 5.0 innings respectively in their starts. Sacred Heart is now 1-13. Davis pitched a complete game shutout in game 1 for Marist, while Napolitano went 7 innings without allowing a run in game 2. Kirkpatrick batted 4-7 to help the Red Foxes improve to 3-10.

Game 1

A first inning Marist run would prove to be all that was needed for Davis. The Red Foxes loaded the bases with no outs thanks to a Kirkpatrick leadoff single and consecutive walks. A third straight walk by Laurino plated the first run of the game with still no outs. Foley worked out of the jam by striking out the next hitter before inducing an inning ending double play. Marist added another in the top of the second when Brucker led off with a single. He was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and reached third following a Belitz single. Kirkpatrick walked to load the bases for the second straight inning. Foley worked his way out again but not before the Marist lead became 2-0 via a sacrifice fly. The damage was done there as Foley struck out the next hitter.

Foley settled in from there not allowing a runner to reach second over the next two innings, but SHU could not take advantage as they also were not able to get a batter past first. Foley worked around a leadoff double in the fifth by inducing a groundout and striking out the next two to end with a line of five innings pitched and two earned runs.

After James Cooksey relieved Foley with a perfect sixth, the Pioneers had their first major opportunity when Ted Shaw and Zack Short had back to back two out singles in the bottom half. Davis worked out of his first threat by forcing a groundout to send the game to the seventh. Sacred Heart again had two runners reach in the seventh. Sorrento laced a one out double to left center and Cody Doyle worked a two out walk. This time Davis stuck out the next hitter to get out of the jam.

Marist added an earned run in the eighth and two more unearned runs in the ninth. The Pioneers did not advance a runner to second in the final two innings. Cooksey's pitched four innings of relief allowing only one earned.

Game 2

Much like the first, game two of the double header was a pitcher's duel, as Maguire and Napolitano allowed only two hits combined through the first five innings. Napolitano was working on a perfect game until Keaton Flint's two out sixth inning single. Shaw followed that up with a single of his own to send Flint to third. With his first two base runners of the day on, Napolitano remained unscathed by forcing an inning ending flyout.

Marist, who itself only had one runner reach second in the first five innings, immediately took advantage of the momentum by scoring the game's only two runs. Following an unexecuted sacrifice bunt in which the leadoff batter was thrown at second, the Red Foxes loaded the bases with a walk and single. Jesus Medina came into to relief Maguire, and the first hitter he faced, Pagano, delivered the game winning RBI single to left field scoring two. Medina settled down from there retiring the next two to keep the score at 2-0.

Sacred Heart itself looked to immediately respond in the top half of the seventh, but a diving catch by McIntire preserved the Marist shutout. With two outs, Keith Klebart looked to have scored Sullivan, who was on second after his one out double, but McIntire laid out to prevent the Pioneers from cutting the lead in half.

Medina worked around two leadoff singles in the seventh and eight to prevent Marist from scoring again, but SHU could not get a base runner on in the final two innings. Medina finished with 2.2 scoreless innings, after Maguire had gone 5.1 allowing the two runs. Keenan and Thomas each pitched a perfect inning in the eighth and ninth respectively to earn the hold and save.

Sacred Heart, who has already had its first two home openers relocated and postponed, will look to open its home schedule on Wednesday when it hosts Stony Brook at Harbor yard at 3 pm.