RADNOR, PA - The Cabrini baseball team fell in game one of the Atlantic East Conference (AEC) Championship Series by a 20-5 final to the visiting Gwynedd Mercy University Griffins. 

Gwynedd needed just 14 hits to push across their 20 runs as they took advantage of five Cavalier errors and 10 walks. Freshman Jonathan Baker was ultimately saddled with the loss, his first of the season, after allowing eight runs (seven earned) in two innings of work. 

Griffins' starter Nick DeRitis totaled 124 pitches across eight innings to earn his sixth victory of the season. The senior allowed nine hits, five earned and struck out four. 

Sophomore Brendan Van Belle paced the Blue and White on the offensive side as he finished with a team high three hits and added a run scored. Freshman Garrett Laraia tallied two hits and a run, while senior Tyler Norris and sophomore's Mack McKisson, JD Barrett, and Brian Protesto rounded out the Cavs to mark the hit column. Barrett led the bunch with a double and a team high three RBI's. 

Gwynedd struck early as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the opening frame and extended their lead to 9-0 after just three innings. A grand slam from Nick Mulvey and a solo shot from Ryan Keen highlighted the scoring run for the visitors. 

The Cavs would trim their deficit to 9-3 in the third, however, as Van Belle led off the inning with a single to left. Following a walk from McKisson, Norris roped a single to right to load the bases with nobody out. Barrett stepped in and delivered a double off the center field netting to plate two. Protesto followed with an RBI groundout to the first baseman for the first out of the inning. DeRitis worked out of the jam as he retired junior Shaun Stackhouse and freshman Brandon Loner to end the inning. 

The Griffins and Cavs traded two runs in the fourth as the score moved to 11-5. Cabrini loaded the bases with one out in their half of the inning before Norris worked a walk to plate the inning's first run. Barret capped the inning with an RBI groundout to first, but DeRitis would again limit the damage as he retired Protesto for the final out. 

Gwynedd would go on to score five runs in the sixth and two runs in both the eight and ninth innings as they coasted to the aforementioned 20-5 final. 

Following today's game, the Blue and White stand at 0-1 in the Championship's three game series. They will need to win both games in tomorrow's double header to be crowned Atlantic East Conference Champions. Tomorrow's first game is slated for 11am.