RICHMOND, Va. (February 24, 2023) – After leading multiple times throughout the afternoon at The Diamond, the Sacred Heart University baseball team trailed for the first time in the bottom of the eighth inning. Not to be denied though, the Pios scraped together a run in the top of the ninth, and struck for another in the top of the 10th, to pull out their first win of the season. Zack Kovalchik (Archbald, Pa.) finished 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs, as SHU slipped past defending Atlantic-10 champion Virginia Commonwealth, 7-6, in the front end of a three-game non-conference series.
It was the first collegiate victory for first-year SHU head coach Pat Egan.
Early on, it seemed as if pitching would be at a premium all day, as each team put five runs on the board in the first five innings and both starting pitchers lasted only three innings. SHU (1-3) led 2-1 after one, 3-2 after two, 4-2 after three, and 5-2 through the top of the fourth, but saw VCU (2-2) level things with a three-spot in the last of the fourth.
From there, the game went quiet. The fifth inning went scoreless, the sixth inning went scoreless, and the seventh inning went scoreless as well.
Then, VCU struck in the last of the eighth.
William Bean led off the frame with a triple off the fence in deep center field. Right-hander Tyler Briggs (Franklin, Conn.) nearly stranded him 90 feet away, with a lineout and a strikeout, but Logan Amiss cashed in the go-ahead run with a two-out single to right field.
Now, it was the Pios' turn to respond this time.
Sam Mongelli (Marlboro, N.Y.) – who went 3-for-6 with a pair of doubles and scored twice – got things started immediately in the top of the ninth, with a double to right-center. He advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Joey Skarad (Stamford, Conn.) and scored when a wild pitch slipped between the legs of VCU catcher Nic Ericsson.
Briggs got the side in order with a pair of strikeouts in the bottom of the ninth, and then SHU reclaimed the lead for a final time in the top of the 10th. A walk, a single and a failed sacrifice bunt set the scene with runners at first and second and one away for Dante D'Amore (Southington, Conn.), and the sophomore played hero. He poked a ball through the right side of the infield to plate Kovalchik from second base with the go-ahead run.
Briggs (1-0) got the side in order again in the bottom of the 10th, including a pair of strikeouts to finish things off. In all, the right-hander logged three innings of relief, allowed one run on two hits, did not issue a walk and struck out six.
Brendan Erka (0-1) suffered the loss out of the bullpen for VCU. He was touched for two runs on three hits and a pair of walks over 2.1 innings of work.
The two teams will meet twice more at The Diamond this weekend, on Saturday at 2 p.m. and on Sunday at 1 p.m.
