READING, Pa. - On Wednesday afternoon, the Cabrini University baseball team defeated Albright College behind strong pitching performances. The Cavaliers employed three pitchers who totaled a program-record 16 strikeouts as Cabrini took the road game by a 3-1 final.

How it Happened
Cabrini's offense put 2 runs on the board in the top of the first, both by way of sacrifice flies. Dustin Sutton led off reaching base on a hit by pitch. He'd make third on a single up the middle by Colt Narciso. Narciso swiped second base before Jaden Dickerson walked to load the bases. Ryan Dipper's fly ball to right then scored Sutton and moved Narciso ninety feet closer. Zack Brook followed suit with another productive out, as his sac fly scored Narciso from third. 

Andrew Smith took the hill for the Cavaliers. He'd put three men on base in the first, but left all three stranded after striking out the 1, 4, and 6 hitters in Albright's lineup. Smith continued to deal in the second, fanning two of four batters faced. The Lions loaded the bases again in the third with 2 walks and a single, but Smith came out unscathed, forcing a flyout and 2 strikeouts to close the frame. 

Cabrini's third run crossed home plate in the top of the fourth. Alan Bautista led off the inning with an infield single, taking second base on an overthrow. Brady Campbell would score him on a single to right. The Cavaliers loaded the bases with a walk from Sutton and single from Narciso, but Albright's 6-4-3 double play halted the Cavs there.

Andrew Smith kept the ball in the infield during the fourth inning, notching a pop out and 2 more strikeouts. Smith continued into the fifth inning, where he surrendered a hit and a walk while adding 2 more Ks. With a pitch count reaching 70, Smith was relieved in the bottom of the fifth. He'd exit with a stellar line of 4.2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 7 BB, and 11 Ks. 

Upon entering for Cabrini, Blake Weinstein recorded the last out of the fifth inning. He'd strike out 2 then force a pop out to complete the sixth. In the seventh inning, Weinstein retired Albright in four batters. His outing continued through into the eighth, when the Lions recorded their first run on a double to left. Weinstein would leave the game having pitched 3.0 innings to 1 R, 4 H, 0 BB, and 2 Ks.

Josh Colon came in for the four-out save opportunity. He struck out the last batter of the eighth inning to enter the ninth with a 3-1 lead. There, Colon retired Albright in order, striking out the final two hitters of the game. 

Program History
With 16 strikeouts between Smith, Weinstein, and Colon, Cabrini blew past their previous single-game team record of 12 Ks, recorded three times before (at Catholic on Feb. 15, 2019, at Catholic on Feb. 19, 2022, and at Haverford on March 19, 2022).

Individually, Andrew Smith's 11 strikeouts tied the Cabrini baseball record for most in a single outing. He joins Nicholas Gares, who fanned 11 Finlandia hitters on Feb. 27, 2017 and Brian Dino, who struck out Marywood 11 times on April 23, 2022. 

On Deck
Baseball is back in action on Friday, March 16 at 6pm, as the Cavaliers take on Penn State Brandywine at Maple Zone.