Center Valley, PA (March 18, 2012) – The DeSales University baseball team opened its Freedom Conference season in dramatic fashion, banging out 15 hits in a 10-7 game one win, and scoring six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning in game two to earn a 6-5 walk-off win, sweeping the doubleheader from the Devils on another beautiful Sunday afternoon at Butz Field.

The wins extend DSU's (7-4, 2-0 Freedom) win streak to six straight, while FDU falls to 3-7 overall and 0-2 in the Freedom.  These two teams will do battle again on Monday as the scene switches to FDU with the third game in the series with first pitch set for 3:30 pm.

The Bulldog offense was on point in the first game, smacking 15 hits and 10 run over seven innings, including multiple hit efforts from six of the nine starters in the lineup.

DSU got out quickly scoring three times in the first on an RBI double from junior Brian Mauro and a two-run home run from senior Ethan Moser and added two more in the second on RBI hits from senior Kenny Ridge and Mauro to give the Bulldogs a 5-0 lead.

FDU chipped away and pulled within two runs with three tallies in the fifth, but DeSales answered with five runs of its own in the bottom of the frame to lead 10-3 after five.  Junior Justin Scerbo had the big hit, a two-run single to cap off the scoring.

The Devils refused to go away, scoring twice in the sixth and twice more in the seventh before freshman Tyler Harris closed the door, inducing a double play ball to end the game.

Senior Jeffrey Pinto pitched well, earning his first win of the season, allowing just three runs and five hits over 4.2 innings.  Ridge and Mauro each had three hits, while Moser, junior Derek Chrismer, sophomore Mark Fuse, and freshman Drew Borger each had two hits in the game one win.

In game two, FDU's FJ Lucchetti dazzled DeSales thru six innings as the Devils broke open a close game with three runs in the sixth to lead 5-0.

But then came the seventh inning.

Senior Nick Chiovitti opened the frame with a walk and Moser blasted a ball to right-center for a double in the gap, scoring Chiovitti giving DSU life and speeding up the FDU bullpen.  Chrismer came to the plate and hit a comebacker to the mound and Moser was caught in between second and third base, but after looking at Moser, Luchetti turned a bounced the throw to first putting runners at first and third with no one out.

Luchetti then left the game for reliever Chris Laudati and sophomore pinch-hitter, Mark Westdyk, roped a first-pitch single to center field, scoring Moser and making it a 5-2 game.

Sophomore Charles Dennis then came to the plate and tattooed a ball to dead centerfield that just kept carrying, clearing the 400-foot sign by a few feet, tying the game at five as the Bulldog bench came alive.

After consecutive outs, Ridge stepped to the plate and he sent a ground ball to first base, looking like the third out and extra innings, but the ball hit the heel of the first baseman's glove and hopped into right-field bring Mauro to the plate.

Mauro laced a ball down the right-field line that one-hopped the fence as Ridge chugged for home.  The relay throw came to a rotating Steve Seminerio, who came all the way over from shortstop, and he delivered a good throw to the plate, just slightly up the third base line as Ridge barely beat the tag, sliding home safely with the game-winning run.

Junior Carlos Guerrero earned the win, pitching what turned out to be an important 0.2 innings, pitching out of a one-out jam with runners on first and second in the top of the seventh inning to keep it a five-run game.  Junior David Drinks pitched well thru five innings, pitching into the sixth allowing six hits and four runs, striking out three.

DSU had just six hits, four in the seventh inning in the win.  Dennis had two of them and knocked in three of the six runs, all on the big game-tying homer in the seventh.  Westdyk, Moser, and Mauro had the other RBIs in the win.