AUBURNDALE, FL - The Cavaliers kicked off their spring break with a series split against Finlandia University, as they took game one behind a dominant pitching performance from Nicholas Gares, but dropped game two by an 8-5 decision. 

Game 1: Cabrini 7, Finlandia 1
The Cavaliers needed only their first three hitters to produce two runs in the top of the first inning. Casey Plunkett started things for the Cavs, thanks to Finlandia's Steve Guberti promptly hitting the righty with a soft curveball. Dylan Butler did what he does and ripped a pitch down the right field line, easily scoring Plunkett. Butler, who had a triple, took advantage of the right fielder's misplay and was able to come all the way around to score himself, giving the Cavs their aforementioned 2-0 lead. 

The Blue and White carried that 2-0 lead into the top of the second where it got right back to work. Guberti again hit another Cav, this time Jesse James Murphy, giving Cabrini the early base runner. After Alex Del Giudice laid down the sacrifice bunt to move Murphy to second, Shaun Stackhouse worked out a walk to put runners on first and second. Jake Dohar came through with a clutch single to right to bring home Murphy and push the Cavs' lead to 3-0. Plunkett capped the scoring for the Cavs in their half of the inning with a sac fly that brought home Stackhouse.

After two more quick innings from Gares, the Cavs added on more insurance as Plunkett drove home his second RBI of the day with an infield single to the shortstop that brought home Del Giudice, who singled to lead off the inning. 

Another RBI from Plunkett in the sixth and an RBI from Murphy in the seventh put the Lions of Finlandia away for good. 

Gares etched his name in the Cavalier record books thanks to his game one performance in which he logged the first complete game in Cabrini history. The 6 foot lefty finished the day firing 7 innings of four hit ball, allowing just one unearned run and collecting a career high 11 strikeouts. 

Plunkett paced the Blue and White offensively in game one, finishing 2-2 with 1 run and 3 RBI's. Murphy also went a perfect 2-2, finishing with 1 run and 1 RBI. 

Game 2: Cabrini 5, Finlandia 8
Game two wasn't kind to the Cavaliers as they recorded a season high six errors. 

The Blue and White again jumped out to the early lead as Butler singled home the leadoff man Stackhouse, who walked to start off the game. After a Jamal Lamar single that put runners on first and third, the Lions managed to escape the big inning by catching Butler in a double steal for the third out. 

The Cavs' starter in game two, Tyler Norris, pulled off a bit of his own magic after finding himself with a runner on first and second and only one out in the top of the second. Norris picked up a big second out via a strikeout off of the Lions Tyler Jacobson. A double steal for the Lions moved both runners into scoring position until Norris popped up the Lions' eight-hole hitter and stranded both runners in the process.

An error by Aurite in the top of the third allowed the Lions to tie up the game at one apiece. 

The Cavs found themselves in the position to answer in the bottom of the third as Stackhouse singled and made it to second off of an error. With one out, Butler again came through with a clutch hit to plate Stackhouse and give the hosts a 2-1 lead. 

The Lions used a bit of two out magic in the next half inning, gashing the lions for five runs off of five consecutive hits, including a home run from Joey Krug. 

Trailing 6-2, the Blue and White cut their deficit in half their next time up. Aurite started things off, reaching base via another hit-by-pitch. After Darren Aupperle walked and both he and Aurite advanced a base off of a passed ball, Lee Smith brought home Aurite with a sac fly. Erick Vicario drove home Aupperle with a double down the left field line to pull the Cavs within two with three innings to play. 

The Blue and White, despite their best efforts, could not shut down the Lion's offense as they dropped the second game by a score of 8-5. 

Tyler Norris was strapped with the loss, his first of the season. The Cavs received strong offensive performances again from Butler (3-4, 2 RBI), Stackhouse (2-2, 2 R), and Vicario (2-3, 1 R, 1 RBI). 

With the split, the Cavaliers move to 3-1 on the young season and will look to pick up another victory over Hanover College, when they take on the Panthers tomorrow morning at 10:30am.