BOX SCORE (Game 1)
BOX SCORE (Game 2)
Purchase, NY (April 24, 2010) – The DeSales University baseball team used a 10-run fifth inning in game two to blow open a close game en route to an 18-6 win as the Bulldogs split their doubleheader at Manhattanville College after an 11-3 game one loss to win yet another three-game weekend series in Freedom Conference play on Saturday afternoon.
The Bulldogs do see their six-game winning streak snapped in the game one loss but improve to 22-13 overall and 15-3 in the Freedom Conference with the win. DSU stays atop of the Freedom Conference standings with the split, one game ahead of FDU-Florham, who also split its doubleheader on Saturday with King's College. This sets up a showdown next weekend with the Bulldogs and Devils set to play in a three-game series with the winner of the series earning the #1 seed in the Freedom Conference playoffs the following week.
DSU is locked into one of the top two seeds with this weekend's sweep meaning they will definitely host a first round playoff game, opponent to be determined, on Wednesday, May 5th at Butz Field before the rest of the double elimination tournament shifts to Bear Stadium in Boyertown, PA for the weekend.
In the first game on Saturday, the Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead on RBI doubles from senior Derek Moyer (Harleysville, PA/Souderton) and junior Carson Slonaker (East Greenville, PA/The Perkiomen School) but the Valiants (16-17, 10-8 Freedom) answered with three in bottom of the first and one more in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead. MC took the lead on just four hits and were aided by three walks, one hit batter, and two wild pitches over the first two innings.
The Bulldogs got within 6-3 in the fifth on an RBI single from Moyer but the Valiants took control with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning before the 11-3 final was posted. Slonaker and sophomore Nick Chiovitti (Thomaston, CT/Holy Cross) each had three hits in game one, while Moyer went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Junior Travis Hughes (Levittown, PA/Conwell-Egan Catholic) took the loss lasting just 1.1 innings allowing four runs.
In the second game, DeSales scored twice in the first on RBIs from sophomore Jack Kavetski (Plymouth Meeting, PA/Plymouth Whitemarsh) and sophomore Jason Hadinger (Northampton, PA/Allentown Central Catholic) and four more times in the second inning on another RBI hit from Kavetski and a three-run home run off the bat of Moyer to lead 6-0. Up 6-2 in the fifth, DSU exploded for 10 runs in the top of the inning, sending 15 men to the plate and banging out 10 hits to take a 16-2 lead and never looked back from there.
Chiovitti had two more hits, scored three times, and drove in two runs in game two, Kavetski went 4-for-5 with four RBIs, Moyer was 3-for-4 with four RBIs including a home run, Hadinger had two hits including a homer, scored twice, and knocked in five runs and junior Mike Newland (Frenchtown, NJ/Delaware Valley) was 2-for-4 with two runs scored to lead the offensive barrage. Freshman Dan Gayeski (New Castle, DE/Salesianum) earned his seventh win of the season, scattering 12 hits and allowing six runs, while striking out seven.
DSU returns to the diamond on Tuesday, April 27th when they host its other local rival, Muhlenberg College, under the lights at Limeport Stadium beginning at 7:00 pm. The game will feature both LIVE Stats for those unable to attend and can also be viewed live on TV locally by Service Electric TV-2 Sports crew.
