BOX SCORE

Center Valley, PA (April 21, 2011) – A two-run double from sophomore Brian Mauro ignited a six-run fifth inning and helped the DeSales University baseball team end a five-game skid with a crucial win over FDU-Florham, 11-7, in Freedom Conference action on another windy afternoon at Butz Field on Thursday.

Both teams traded solo runs in the first and second innings before FDU took a 3-2 lead with an inside the park home run from Joe Meglio in the fourth inning. After a ground out started the bottom of the fifth, a single up the middle by junior Kenny Ridge started seven straight Bulldogs reaching base highlighted by an RBI single from junior Jack Kavetski, the two-run double from Mauro, and another two-run double from junior Jason Hadinger that pushed DSU ahead, 8-3 after five innings.

Florham (14-10, 8-6 Freedom) showed no quit, plating three runs, two on a two-run line drive homer from Matt Oliveto, in the sixth inning, but the Bulldogs (14-13, 9-5 Freedom) countered with two tallies of their own in the bottom of the sixth to lead 10-6 on an RBI single from senior Doc Neiman and a sacrifice fly from Hadinger and DSU cruised home from there.

Sophomore David Drinks earned the win with a gutsy seven innings scattering 11 hits and allowing just five earned runs, while striking out five. Fellow sophomore Dan Gayeski earned his first career save, pitching out of a jam in the eighth and retiring the side in the ninth, striking out four in 1.2 innings of work.

The top of the Bulldogs lineup did most of the damage with the 1-thru-5 hitters going 10-for-21 with nine RBIs and nine runs scored. Sophomore Justin Scerbo had two hits and three runs scored, Kavetski scored twice and also had two hits, Mauro knocked in three runs, Neiman had three base knocks and drove in two runs, and Hadinger busted out of a mini-slump with two hits and three RBIs.

DSU finishes up the three-game set with the Devils on Saturday with the doubleheader slated to begin at 1:00 pm.