The baseball team scored 48 runs in a four game sweep against Northeast Conference rival, Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers(MSM) this past weekend.
Even though MSM had a losing record entering the series, Head Coach Dean Ehehalt still considered them a threat. “Anybody can beat anybody. You look at the scores of their games and look at the scores of our games and there is very little margin for error,” Ehehalt said. “In the sport of baseball you throw records out the window, records are not very vindictive on who’s going to win.”
Junior southpaw Andrew McGee pitched the series opener picking up his fifth win of the season as the Hawks won the game 13-7. McGee tossed eight innings surrendering two runs off five hits. He also struck out a career-high 12 batters in the game and threw a total of 96 pitches, 72 of which were strikes, before being replaced by sophomore righty Chris McKenna in the ninth.
McKenna threw two-thirds of an inning where he issued two walks and allowed three runs off five hits. Relieving McKenna for the final out in the ninth was freshman lefty Frank Trimarco.
Leading the Hawks offensively was the recently honored New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Association Player of the Week, senior third baseman Owen Stewart. Going six-for-six in the game, Stewart accounted for two RBI and four out of MU’s 13 runs. Junior second baseman Jake Gronsky, senior first baseman Chris Perret and senior left fielder Joe Bamford each had three hits in the contest.
MU took an early lead in the first as Gronsky singled up the middle to score sophomore center fielder Steve Wilgus from third. The Hawks scored once again in the third when sophomore catcher Kyle Perry hit a sacrifice fly to right bringing home Stewart. In the bottom of the third, the Mountaineers scored their only runs of the game as their right fielder, Jay Knight, sent one to deep center giving him not only a triple but also an RBI. Knight later scored on a wild pitch.
The Hawks gained back their lead in the fourth when Gronsky and Perret hit back to back solo shots to opposite sides of the park. After three plus innings and four runs, the Mountaineers replaced their starting pitcher. The change on the mound proved of little effect as the Hawks were able to plate one more run before ending the inning with a score of 5-2.
MU scored two more runs in the sixth, but it was not until the seventh when they pulled away with the lead. Scoring six runs off four hits and one error, the Hawks ended the inning with what would be the final score of 13-2.
The team had a season high 22 hits in the game.
Coming off a momentous series opener, the Hawks headed into a double header against MSM on Saturday. Sophomore righty TJ Hunt was awarded the start in the first game on Saturday. Hunt pitched five plus innings serving a mere two runs off six hits and striking out four in the process. Replacing him for the sixth and seventh was sophomore submarine pitcher Jeff Paglione. In his ninth appearance, Paglione allowed only one hit securing MU’s win, 7-2.
The Hawks entire starting line-up had at least one hit in the game and all but three scored a run. Perret, Bamford, and freshman DH Danny Shea doubled in the game with Bamford and Shea leading the offense with three hits each.
MSM took an early lead in the second game as they scored one run in the first off starting sophomore righty Adam Yunginger. After that one run, Yunginger only let one Mountaineer reach scoring position. Freshman catcher Connor White stole back the lead in the second by sending the ball over the left field fence for a three run home run. MU then began a scoring streak as they plated a collective ten runs in the third and fourth innings.
Igniting MU’s scoring frenzy was senior shortstop Jon Guida, who was named NEC Player of the Week. Guida stepped up to the plate in the third with a one out bases loaded situation. Letting the first pitch go past him for a ball, Guida smacked the next pitch over the left field fence for a grand slam. Wilgus began MU’s streak in the fourth with a triple to start the six run inning. When asked the key behind his success, Wilgus replied, “You really just need to go out and play. I just focus on my job and that’s how I take every game.” He batted two-for-five in the game with one run and one RBI.
Guida led the Hawks as he went three-for-three with five RBI and scored two runs. Bamford also had three hits with two RBI and two runs. Other RBI were provided by Wilgus, Perry and White. Yunginger finished the game after five and two thirds allowing one run on five hits. Yunginger also issued four walks and earned five strike outs. Senior right-hander Neil Harm came in for the last out and a third where he allowed only three hits.
After three wins, the Hawks were set to play the last game of the series on Sunday. Looking for his first win of the season was senior southpaw Dan Smith.
Prior to this start, Smith was 0-5 in the eight games he started. When asked what has given Smith trouble this year, his teammate McGee provided an answer.
“He’s just having some bad luck. Balls have taken some bad hops and you can’t blame the fielders,” McGee said. “Eventually everything will work out. It’s probably better he’s struggling towards the beginning because towards the end, that’s when you want to get in a hot streak and be pitching your best so you can carry it into the conference tournament. He’ll get through it, it’s just a little bump.”
Smith was able to earn his first win of the season as the Hawks pummeled the Mountaineers, 15-4. Pitching a full seven innings, Smith surrendered two runs, seven hits and fanned three. Finishing the game was junior left-hander Stephen Frey, who permitted three hits and two runs, one of which was a homer. MU home runs were hit by both Guida and sophomore right fielder Craig Sweeney. The Hawks had 21 hits in the game with Guida leading the way as he went four-for-six with three runs and two RBI. Stewart also hit four-for-six and scored two runs in the game. The final score of the game was 15-4.
MU totaled for 71 hits and 48 runs in the four game stint at Emmitsburg, Maryland. The Hawks improve their record to 16-11 (9-3 NEC) while the Mountaineers record stands at 6-20 (2-10 NEC).
The team will next play the Princeton Tigers today, April 10 at MU Baseball Field with a start time of 3:30 pm.
PHOTO COURTESY of MU Photography
