MARION, N.C. (February 17, 2023) – Sam Mongelli (Marlboro, N.Y.) went 2-for-4 with a double and stole a base, but the Sacred Heart University baseball team otherwise struggled to get the bats going in Friday afternoon's season opener at Big League Camp. Right-hander Jack Kramer (Glen Rock, N.J.) started strong, but could not escape the fifth inning on the mound, as the Pios dropped a 7-1 decision on the road at UNC Asheville. Robbie Burnett went 2-for-2 with a double and a home run to lead the way for the Bulldogs.
Friday's contest was the first of three this weekend between the two clubs. They will meet again on Saturday at Big League Camp, and on Sunday back on campus at UNC Asheville's Greenwood Field. Both games are slated for noon starts.
The two teams traded runs early on Friday. After the Pios stranded the bases loaded in the top of the first, the host Bulldogs got things started in the bottom half, when Burnett cranked a two-out, solo homer to right field. SHU (0-1) responded immediately, in the top of the second, when Dante D'Amore (Southington, Conn.) doubled to right, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Justin Jordan (Darien, Conn.).
Meanwhile, Kramer (0-1) was strong early on, as the Burnett dinger was one of just three hits he surrendered through the first four innings. The bottom of the fifth would spell trouble though. After a leadoff walk and a foul out, UNC Asheville (1-0) would come up with four straight hits, including an RBI double to center by Burnett, which gave the Bulldogs the lead for good.
Kramer would ultimately be charged with three runs on four hits and three walks, with four strikeouts, in 4.1 innings of work. Left-hander Michael Attonito (White Plains, N.Y.) was unable to quiet things down, as he allowed four runs on four hits, including a pair of doubles, over the next inning on the hill.
UNC Asheville picked up two more in the sixth, on an RBI groundout by Ty Kaufman and a sacrifice fly by Burnett, who drove in his third run of the afternoon to create the 7-1 final.
Clay Edmondson (1-0) took the ball and tossed six innings for UNC Asheville. He allowed just one run on four hits, walked two and struck out six.
