POMONA, N.Y. – The No. 3 Sacred Heart University baseball team cruised past No. 7 Marist, 14-3, in seven innings on Wednesday in the first round of its first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament.
 
With the win, the Pioneers advance to face No. 2 Fairfield tomorrow (Thursday) at 11 a.m. at Clover Stadium.
 
Pitching
Joey Trombley (W, 5-7): 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 4 SO
Charlie Costello: 1.0 IP
 
Hitting
Tim McGuire: 5 H, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 2B
Ronan Donohue: 3 H, 3 R, 1 2B
Alex Ungar: 2 H, 2 R, 6 RBI, 2 HR
Dante D'Amore: 1 H, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 HR
 
How it Happened
The Pioneers' offense wasted no time, jumping on Marist early and often. In the first inning, Gavin Donohue and Tim McGuire each singled to help load the bases, and Zack Kovalchik worked a walk to bring in the game's first run.
 
Sacred Heart exploded for seven runs in the second inning to take a commanding 8-0 lead. Ronan Donohue led off with a double to right-center, followed by a bunt single from JW Fitzgerald. Alex Ungar cleared the bases with a three-run homer to left. SHU added four more runs on bases-loaded walks from Kovalchik, Joe Cilea, Fitzgerald, and Ungar.
 
In the third, Dante D'Amore launched a two-run homer to center field for his 200th career hit, extending SHU's lead to 10-0.
 
Marist got on the board with two runs in the fourth, but the Pios quickly responded. Ungar blasted his second home run of the game in the fifth, a two-run shot to right, making it 12-2.
 
Marist answered with a solo home run in the sixth, but McGuire's two-out, two-run double in the bottom half of the inning plated Fitzgerald and G. Donohue to cap the scoring at 14-3. McGuire finished the game 5-for-5, his first collegiate five-hit game. 
 
Up Next:
Sacred Heart continues MAAC Tournament play against No. 2 Fairfield tomorrow at 11 a.m. at Clover Stadium in Pomona, N.Y.