March 31, 2007

Box Score

BRIDGEPORT, CT - Junior Frank Bainer (Prospect, CT) hit a two-out, two-run double down the left field line in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Sacred Heart University baseball team a 5-4 win in the opening game of a doubleheader with the University of Vermont Saturday afternoon. Vermont came back to win the second game, 4-2.

SHU, 8-10, got back-to-back walks with one out in the top of the first in the opener from Vermont starter Keith Rakus. Senior Jason Maiella scored both runners with a double to center with two outs.

The Pioneers made it 3-0 in the second on an RBI double by freshman Steve Tedesco.

Senior hurler Jay Monti was cruising for the Pioneers. He threw the first two scoreless innings and got the first two batters in the third. He gave up a two-out single to Kyle Henry and then Tedesco made back-to-back errors at second base to allow Henry to score. Consecutive singles by Ethan Paquette and Jeff Heppner tied the score at 3-3. All three runs in the inning were unearned off Monti.

A leadoff double in the fourth inning by Will Huntington, followed by a single by Bryan Rembisz gave Vermont a 4-3 lead. It was first earned run Monti surrendered this season.

The game remained that way until the seventh. Vermont reliever Eric Thompson got Bobby McKee to ground out to first to start the inning, but he then issued consecutive walks to Jeff Hanson and Maiella. Thompson struck out Rob Tencza for the second out. Bainer then ripped a 2-0 fast ball past the diving Vermont third baseman that scored both runners and gave the Pioneers the win.

The victory moved Monti to 4-1 on the season. He struck out seven and walked just one.

Tencza started the second game for SHU and pitched well. The only big blemish on his ledger was a three-run homer by Paquette in the fourth inning that gave the Catamounts a 4-0 lead.

SHU a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth on four straight hits, including RBI singles by Maiella and Phil Tantillo of Vermont starter Kyle Henry.

Henry then retired the next nine batters, before issuing consecutive walks to start the bottom of the seventh. Ryan Nemcek tried to sacrifice the runners over but bunted it right back to the Henry who threw to third to get the lead runner. Henry got Tedesco to bounce back to the mound that advanced the runners. With two outs, junior Jovan Rodriguez hit the first Henry pitch he saw and hit it sharply to short for the final out.

Henry moved to 2-3 with the victory, striking out seven and walking two. Tencza fell to 1-2, while striking out five and allowing just one walk.

The two teams will complete the three-game series Sunday at 2:00.