BALTIMORE, Md. (April 27, 2023) – It was a much-needed successful day on both sides of the ball for the Sacred Heart University baseball team on the road on Thursday, as the Pios opened their Northeast Conference weekend series at Coppin State with a doubleheader at Cannon Stadium. One Sacred Heart starting pitcher set his career high in strikeouts and the other matched his, while the offense hammered out 23 runs on 19 hits across the two games. The Pios claimed the series victory via a doubleheader sweep, with 12-4 and 11-3 victories.
With the wins, Sacred Heart improves to 18-22 (13-10 NEC), while Coppin State falls to 13-28 (6-14 NEC). With wet weather expected on Friday, the series finale has been postponed until Saturday at 1 p.m. at Cannon Stadium.
Game 1: Sacred Heart 12, Coppin State 4
In the throes of a six-game losing streak where every big inning went against them, the Pio offense finally broke out for a huge inning of its own in the late stages of Thursday's opener. Already ahead 4-0, SHU struck for a seven-spot in the top of the eighth inning to put the hammer down and put the game away. The bulk of the damage came on just two swings of the bat, as Ryan Donnelly (Fairfield, Conn.) cracked a two-run homer to right field, his second in as many games, and Zack Kovalchik (Archbald, Pa.) later followed with his first career grand slam to left-center. Joey Skarad (Stamford, Conn.) drove in a run with an RBI single in the frame as well.
Earlier in the day, Michael Simonelli (Milford, Conn.) had homered as well. The two-run shot in the fifth was his first collegiate long ball.
Coppin State finally got on the board in the last of the eighth, but SHU responded with a run in the top of the ninth. The Eagles scratched out three in the bottom of the ninth to create the 12-4 final.
Right-hander Jake Babuschak (Jobstown, N.J.) cruised through seven scoreless innings on 95 pitches on the mound for SHU. He allowed just four hits, walked one and chalked up a career-best nine strikeouts on the way to the win (3-4).
Right-hander Nico Felber (1-3) got through seven innings as well for Coppin State, on 88 pitches. He surrendered four runs (two earned) on four hits, walked one and struck out three while suffering the loss.
Game 2: Sacred Heart 11, Coppin State 3
In the second game, the big inning came early.
Trailing 3-1 after one, the Pios put together another seven-run frame in the top of the second. Justin Jordan (Darien, Conn.) provided the keynote address with one out and the bases full, as he laced a three-run triple to right-center. Dante D'Amore (Southington, Conn.) followed with an RBI triple of his own, while Donnelly, Kovalchik and Robert Farruggio (Fairfield, Conn.) all had RBIs in the inning as well.
It was largely academic from there, as SHU tacked on single runs in the third, seventh and eighth innings to win going away, 11-3.
Right-hander Jack Kramer (Glen Rock, N.J.) started, but exited after four innings without factoring in the decision. He allowed three runs on four hits and piled up eight strikeouts, to match his career high. Left-hander Michael Attonito (White Plains, N.Y.) followed with three scoreless innings to win (1-1) out of the bullpen, as he allowed six hits, walked one and struck out two.
On the other side, it was a rough outing for Coppin State right-hander Tyler Nichol (0-5). He lasted just 1.1 innings and was roughed up, to the tune of eight runs (seven earned) on four hits and six walks, against just a pair of strikeouts.
