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Box Score 2 DARIEN, Conn.— The Sacred Heart University baseball team avenged the close loss in game one with an offensive explosion in game two to split its Northeast Conference opener against Mount St. Mary's on Sunday afternoon.
The Mountaineers (4-11) narrowly escaped with a 7-6 in game one before the Pioneers (5-12) won 11-5 in the nightcap at Darien High School.
Game One – Mount 7, SHU 6
The Pioneers opened the scoring in the first game with a bases-loaded walk as sophomore Stephen Thibault capped four consecutive two-out walks by the home team for the 1-0 lead. Mount got one back in the next half inning before SHU picked up runs in the bottom of the third and fourth to take the 4-1 lead.
The Mountaineers recorded a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth to cut the Pioneers lead back to one. The visitors would take the lead in the top half of the sixth scoring five runs on two hits. SHU didn't back down as senior Dan Schock ripped his fifth home run of the season to right centerfield to cut the deficit to one.
The Pioneers were unable to record a hit over the final three innings, only reaching scoring position on back-to-back two-out walks in the ninth.
SHU was patient at the plate recording a season-high 14 walks in the opening game. Co-Captain Cody Doyle was the lone Pioneer to record two-hits while Thibault and Schock recorded two-RBI each.
Junior Brent Teller suffered the setback in the start surrendering six runs on seven hits. Freshman Cooper Thompson recorded three shutout innings of relief.
Game Two – SHU 11, Mount 5.
Mount was quick to cross the plate after the game one win, picking up two runs in the top of the second inning. SHU responded quickly as Jake Frasca recorded the RBI single with two outs, he would come around to score on a throwing error on the steal attempt by senior Anthony Capozziello at second later in the inning.
The Mountaineers broke the 2-2 tie with a two-out two-run homer and an RBI double to take the 5-2 lead. Sophomore Elijah Brown recorded the sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 4th to cut into the Mount lead.
SHU then erupted for six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning as Capozziello opened the big inning with an RBI single to gap at short. Thibault then recorded his second RBI walk of the afternoon to tie things back up at 5-5. With the bases loaded, Schock stepped to the plate and roped a three-RBI double to left center field to give SHU the 8-5 lead. P.J. DeFilippo recorded the RBI single with a line drive at the pitcher for the final run of the inning.
The Pioneers capped the scoring in the bottom of the seventh inning as Capozziello swiped third base with no outs and forced the rushed throw by the catcher to go into the outfield. Thibault picked up the RBI double two batters later to score Brown from third base.
Four batters recorded multiple hits in game two, with Capozziello, DeFilippo and Frasca recording three apiece. Schock and Doyle also contributed two hits as well. Schock and Thibault recorded back-to-back multi-RBI games in the win.
Senior James Taubl fanned a season-high nine batters over five and two-thirds innings in the no-decision. Junior Baylor Sundahl was dominant in relief, surrendering just one hit in three and a third innings. He recorded a season-high seven strikeouts in his first win of the season.
The Pioneers continue conference play next weekend as they take on Wagner at CCSU Baseball Field. The three-game series opens up on Thursday, March 29 at 3:00 p.m.
