RADNOR, PA - The Cabrini baseball team opened Atlantic East Conference (AEC) play this afternoon with a pair of thrilling walkoff victories over the visiting Gwynedd Mercy University Griffins at Cabrini Carroll Field.

Game One: Cabrini 7, Gwynedd Mercy 6
The first game of the double header featured a late rally from both the Griffins and Cavaliers as the two teams combined for eight runs in the final two innings. 

Freshman Brandon Loner paced the Cavalier offense as the first baseman finished 2-4 with a run scored and three RBI's. Loner also slugged his first career homerun with a towering drive in the fourth inning. 

Sophomore JD Barrett tallied a pair of hits, including a long homerun himself, while also driving in a run and scoring twice. Freshman Garrett Laraia, sophomore Mack McKisson and junior Henry Peguero rounded out the Cavaliers' with hits as they recorded one each. 

Sophomore Drew Swire collected the victory, his third of the season, after pitching two thirds of an inning of relief. Andrew Corso earned the start and tossed 5.2 innings, while allowing five earned. The junior surrendered just four hits, however, and struck out a season high six batters. 

The Blue and White jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning as Gwynedd starter RJ Boyle balked with runners on second and third to push across the Cavs' first run. A single to left off the bat of Loner easily scored McKisson from third. 

The Griffins responded in the top of the third as they loaded the bases with one out and cut the Cavs' lead in half thanks to an RBI fielders choice from Sachael Sciarrett. 

Cabrini would get the run back in the fourth and add another in the fifth off Loner and Barrett's aforementioned home runs. 

Trailing 4-1 in the top of the sixth, Gwynedd answered as they pushed across four runs off just two hits, highlighted by a two RBI singles from Jason Mulvey. 

An RBI single from Peguero in the ensuing frame would even things back at 5-5, but Gwynedd would again take the lead, this time in the top of the seventh. A line out to a diving McKisson in shallow center served as a sacrifice for the Griffins, handing them a 6-5 lead. 

Down to their final half inning, the Cavaliers mounted a late comeback, starting with a double down the left field line from Laraia. Laraia gave way to sophomore Brendan Van Belle as a pinch runner before Barrett singled up the middle to put runners on first and third with nobody out. 

After the Griffins chose to intentionally walk McKisson to face Loner, the freshman made them pay as he delivered his first career walkoff with a little help from the Gwynedd defense. Loner hit a hard grounder to the second baseman, but a muffed throw to second to start a double play allowed Van Belle to score the go-ahead run. 

Tatoian was saddled with the loss after allowing three hits and two runs in the final inning and a third. 

Game Two: Cabrini 7, Gwynedd Mercy 6
The night cap of the double header featured all the dramatics of game one and then some, as the two teams needed 13 innings to decide a winner. 

Junior Joe Aurite tallied a team high three hits in game two, but it was classmate Chris Santana that delivered the biggest blow. The Reading, PA native crushed a game tying two run home run in the bottom of the ninth to send the teams into extra innings. 

Barrett again tallied two hits in the nightcap, including an RBI, while Laraia, McKisson, Loner and sophomore Brian Protesto finished with one hit and one RBI a piece. Protesto highlighted the bunch as he roped the game winning single in the bottom of the 13th. 

After an even seven innings in which the teams were tied at 2-2, the Griffins seemed to have broken through in the eighth as they pushed across three runs after loading the bases. Trailing 5-2, the Cavaliers responded in the bottom half of the frame thanks to an RBI double to right center off the bat of Loner to get a run back. 

Freshman Joey Moyer came on to pinch hit to lead off the bottom of the ninth and worked out a walk to immediately put pressure on Griffins' reliever Cameron Culver. With one out, Santana stepped in the batters box and ambushed a first pitch fastball to tie the game with one swing of the bat. Cabrini would threaten as McKisson and junior Shaun Stackhouse reached first and second base, respectively, but new Griffins' reliever Matt Pallotta would escape trouble after retiring sophomore Steven Priest for the final out. 

Gwynedd Mercy would retake the lead in the 11th inning thanks to a sac fly, but an opportunistic Cavalier squad again rallied in their half of the inning to even things back at 6-6. A fielding error by the Griffins' shortstop put Laraia on first with nobody out. Following a sac bunt from Stackhouse, McKisson ripped a double off the left field netting to bring the Diamond Cavs back even. 

A clean 12th and top of the 13th gave way to the bottom of the 13th where the Cavaliers would net their second walkoff of the day. A key leadoff double from Stackhouse ignited the Cavalier rally as the Griffins voted to intentionally walk McKisson to face Priest. 

The move worked as Griffins' pitcher Bryan Kaelin induced a foul popout from the Cavalier third baseman for the first out of the inning. Loner picked his teammate up as he worked a walk to load the bases and bring up Van Belle. 

A brief mound visit from Griffins' skipper Paul Murphy allowed Cavalier head coach Nick Weisheipl time to meet with his offense and the head coach called for the suicide squeeze. A streaking Stackhouse was more than halfway to home when Van Belle laid down a near perfect bunt down the third base line, but a heads up play from Gwynedd's Nick Mulvey allowed the ball to roll foul, only prolonging the inevitable. 

Gwynedd managed to retire Van Belle after a foul bunt with two strikes. With two outs, Protesto stepped in the batters box and delivered the biggest hit of his young career with a single to right center to plate Stackhouse and hand the Cavs their second walkoff in as many games. 

After a solid effort from junior starter Drew Jackson (4 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 K), Swire would earn his second victory of the day following two hitless innings of relief. 

Gwynedd starter Nick DeRitis earned a no-decision, but turned in a strong performance as he tossed 7.1 innings and allowed five hits and three runs. The senior struck out nine and allowed just two walks. Kaelin collected the loss after allowing the game winning run. 

Following today's action, the Cavaliers improve to 10-3 overall and 2-0 in AEC play. They will look to keep things rolling when they travel to Eastern University on Tuesday, March 19th. Tuesday's matchup will begin with the Cavs' suspended game against Eastern beginning at 2:30pm and conclude with their regularly scheduled matchup immediately following the conclusion of the first game.