BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (April 18, 2023) – Midweek college baseball can be fickle, as the Sacred Heart University baseball team proved on Tuesday afternoon. Moments after claiming a three-run lead in the last of the sixth, the top of the seventh started single, walk, walk, grand slam, and just like that, the Pios trailed, 8-7. Visiting Fordham tacked on another run in the ninth to pick up the 9-7, non-conference victory at Veteran's Park. Joe Cilea (Colts Neck, N.J.) went 3-for-4 and drove in three for SHU, while Daniel Bucciero provided the game-changing grand slam for the Rams.
With the game tied 4-4 through five innings, SHU (16-17) struck for the lead in the home half of the sixth. Ryan Donnelly (Fairfield, Conn.) led off, pulled a single through the right side and then advanced to third when second baseman Zach Selinger dropped a pop up on the infield. Tim McGuire (Portsmouth, R.I.) put the Pios out front when he pulled a single of his own through the right side. Two batters later, the hole in the right side of the infield continued to be popular, as Cilea knocked an RBI single through the opening as well to drive in his third run of the game. Tyler Galletti (Plainview, N.Y.) capped the frame's scoring with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly down the right-field line.
Things came unraveled quickly from there though. Right-hander Jacob Wiberg (Exeter, N.H.) – who had retired the side in order in the fifth and sixth – was in trouble from the get-go in the seventh, as Ryan Thiesse singled up the middle leading off and took second on a wild pitch. Back-to-back walks to Cian Sahler and Tommy McAndrews ensued, which loaded the bases with nobody out for Bucciero. The first-year third baseman got a hold of one and hit a towering grand slam to straightaway left field – his first collegiate home run – to give the Rams an 8-7 lead.
Fordham (15-22) tacked on a run in the ninth, on a bases-loaded walk to Chris Genaro, to create the 9-7 final. Right-hander Ben Kovel pitched a scoreless ninth with one hit and rolled up a double-play ball to finish off his fifth save of the season.
Wiberg (0-1) was ultimately charged with four runs on two hits, with two walks and a hit batter, and struck out one over 2.1 innings. Senior right-hander Peter Hoffman (1-0) was the beneficiary of the grand slam for Fordham, as he got the win in his collegiate debut, after allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits, with one strikeout, as he worked the sixth inning.
Earlier in the day, Sam Mongelli (Marlboro, N.Y.) socked his team-leading ninth home run of the season for the Pios, a two-run shot to open the scoring in the last of the first. Fordham surged out front with three in the third and one in the fourth. Sacred Heart got things even at 4-4 on a two-run double by Cilea in the last of the fourth.
SHU is right back in action on Wednesday, as it hosts Massachusetts at 3 p.m. at Veteran's Park.
