Hackettstown, NJ – The Cabrini baseball team came away with a pair of key victories this afternoon as they swept the Centenary University Cyclones by way of a 3-2 victory in game one and a 9-5 final in game two.
Game One: Cabrini 3, Centenary 2
The Blue and White used a come from behind victory to steal game one of the day's double header as they rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh for the 3-2 final.
Junior
John Lindeborn paced the Cavalier offense as he finished 3-4 with two runs and one RBI. Senior
Brett Kuchera added a pair of base hits, including an RBI of his own. Freshman
Mack McKisson drove home the eventual game winner in the seventh inning for his lone hit in game one.
Fellow freshman
Corey Hunt toed the rubber for the Blue and White, logging 5.2 innings and surrendering one earned on just four hits. The rookie did issue a season high five free passes, however.
The Cavs opened the scoring in the top of the first as Kuchera delivered a single to the third baseman to plate Lindeborn who reached via a base knock to center. The 1-0 score would stand until the bottom half of the sixth when the host Cyclones evened things with a solo shot off the bat of Ryan Jasiecki.
As mentioned, Cabrini would rally in the top of the seventh as freshman
JD Barrett led things off with a one out walk. A double off the bat of Lindeborn, the games next batter, drove home Barrett to give the Blue and White the 2-1 lead. McKisson went back-to-back with a double of his own to plate Lindeborn and give the Cavs an important insurance run.
Centenary would strike for one more in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a solo homerun from Tim Maxwell , but junior closer
Tyler Ronayne would retire the next batter for the final out of the game.
Game Two: Cabrini 9, Centenary 5
The Blue and White used a seven run second inning to take early control of game two and coast to the eventual 9-5 final.
Sophomore DH
Vince Gares led the Cavs with three hits, while he and Barrett finished with two RBI's each. Sophomore
Tyler Norris, along with Barrett, McKisson and Kuchera finished with two hits apiece, while senior
Dylan Butler, sophomore
Joe Aurite and freshman
Brian Protesto tallied one hit a piece.
Rookie
Griffin Hays earned the start in game two and worked through 4.2 innings as he allowed nine hits, but limited the Cyclones to three runs. The Cavs bullpen did the rest as a trio of freshmen in
Drew Swire,
Matt Dobeck and
Shane Souchuck combined to toss 4.1 innings and allow just two runs.
As mentioned, the Blue and White offense struck early as they jumped Cyclones' starter Casey Brown for eight runs in just 1.2 innings. The early lead proved pivotal as Centenary would eventually push five runs across.
Butler led off the scoring frenzy with a solo shot in the top of the second to push his team leading home run total to four on the year. A two out rally preceded for the Cavs as Aurite roped a single to center and moved all the way to third following a passed ball and wild pitch. A Norris walk put runners on first and third for Barrett who delivered a double down the right field line to plate both runners.
Following a Lindeborn walk, McKisson rolled a single up the middle to score Barrett and give the Cavs a 5-0 lead. A single from Kuchera followed by a triple from Gares ballooned the Cavaliers' lead to 8-0. The Blue and White would add their last run of the game in the fifth, courtesy of an RBI single from Norris.
They Cyclones would chip away, pushing across three runs in the fifth and two more in the seventh, but Cabrini would ultimately hold on for the aforementioned 9-5 final.
Following today's action, the Cavs improve to 17-16 overall and 6-6 in the CSAC. More importantly, Cabrini now owns sole possession of the fourth seed in the CSAC playoff picture and control their own destiny moving forward.
They will look to stay hot as they travel to Immaculata University on Monday, April 30th for 3pm start.
