RICHMOND, Va. (February 26, 2023) – The bats were red-hot from the beginning on Sunday afternoon. In the end, the pitching did just enough to hang on. It all added up to a three-game weekend sweep of the defending Atlantic-10 champion for the Sacred Heart University baseball team, as the Pios held on for an 11-10 victory over Virginia Commonwealth in the weekend finale at The Diamond. Sam Mongelli (Marlboro, N.Y.) went 4-for-6 with a double, drove in a run and scored three times, to cap a 12-for-17 series where he drove in six runs and scored five.
The first three innings were busy in the River City on Sunday. SHU (3-3) came right out of the gates with a four-spot in the top of the first inning. Zack Kovalchik (Archbald, Pa.) had the inning's biggest blow with a two-run double over third base and down the left-field line. Also in the frame, Joey Skarad (Stamford, Conn.) chased home a run with an RBI groundout and Joe Cilea (Colts Neck, N.J.) provided an RBI single.
Each of the next four half-innings featured at least one run as will, with the Pios putting together a 7-4 lead through the top of the third. SHU held the three-run lead through the fourth, and then seemingly broke the game open with another four-spot in the top of the fifth. This time, it was Justin Jordan (Darien, Conn.) with the two-run hit, as he lashed a single to left to score a pair. Skarad and Ryan Donnelly (Fairfield, Conn.) followed up with back-to-back RBI singles of their own to balloon the lead to 11-4.
Unfortunately for the nerves of Pioneer fans, it would be Sacred Heart's final runs of the day and the seven-run lead would prove to be just barely enough. VCU scored three in the last of the fifth to close the gap and got an RBI single in the sixth from William Bean to make things interesting at 11-8.
Free baserunners nearly cost the Pios in the ninth. A leadoff walk came around to score on an RBI double to left by Brandon Eike, and Eike later scored on a one-out balk. A hit batsman put the tying run on first base, but the Rams could get him no further. Senior David Aufiero (Glen Head, N.Y.) came on from the bullpen, struck out Casey Gibbs on three pitches and got AJ Mathis to bounce out to first to end the ballgame. It was Aufiero's first save of the season.
Right-hander Michael Boyian (Norwalk, Conn.) took over for starter Cooper Thompson (Clinton, Conn.) to start the third inning. Boyian (1-0) allowed three runs on three hits with two strikeouts over 2.1 innings and picked up the win thanks to the SHU bats.
Right-hander Mason Delane (0-1) started on the hill for VCU and was tagged for seven runs on 10 hits, with a walk and two strikeouts, in the loss.
The Pios are back down south next weekend, for a quartet of non-conference games at Wofford on March 3-5. First pitch on Friday is set for 6 p.m., the teams will play a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday, and the series will wrap up with a 1 p.m. start on Sunday, at King Field in Spartanburg, S.C.
