Winter Haven, Fla. – The Dominican University baseball team started their spring break trip with a doubleheader on the first day of March. The Stars opened with Winter Haven, Fla. – The Dominican University baseball team started their spring break trip with a double-header on the first day of March. The Stars opened with University of Pittsburg at Greensburg and the second game against Carthage College.
Game 1 Results:
Dominican: 8
Pittsburg Greensburg: 5
How it Happened:
-Pittsburg Greensburg struck first scoring a run on 2 hits in the top of the first inning.
-Junior Matthew Early got Dominican on the board in the top of the third inning with an RBI single through the left side, bringing home Graduate Student
Grayson Downing. Senior
CJ Kalekas continued the inning with a two-out RBI single to left field bringing home Junior
Zach Helein.
-The Bobcats tied up the game at 2 in the bottom half of the fourth inning scoring a run on two hits.
-Pitt came back in their half of the fifth inning and put up 3 runs on 3 hits, and 1 Dominican error.
-G. Downing delivered in the top of the 6th inning with an RBI single to centerfield bringing in senior
Quinton Schwartz, and that is all DU could get with the bases loaded, bringing the score to 5-3 in favor of Greensburg.
-Dominican gained the momentum back in the bottom of the 6th, with sophomore reliever
Ty Phillips getting out of a two-man on-one-out jam, keeping the score at 5-3.
-The Stars carried that momentum into the top half of the 7th, with Schwartz hitting a two-RBI single to center field tying the game up at 5.
-DU once again stopped the Bobcats on the doorstep with sophomore
Langdon Downing coming in and striking out three straight batters with runners on base.
-G. Downing got Dominican going with a lead-off bunt single and the Bobcats threw 7 straight pick-offs and 9 in total to first base with G. Downing occupying first. In this sequence, Helein drew a four-pitch walk. Junior
Matthew Earley crushes a bases-clearing triple to give the Stars a 7-5 lead. Earley scored on a wild pitch making the score 8-5.
Shining Stars:
-Graduate Student
Grayson Downing continued to be the leader offensively going 3 for 5 with a walk an RBI and 2 runs scored. G.Downing also recorded two stolen bases.
-Junior
Matthew Earley had his best game in a Dominican uniform going 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs a walk and a run scored.
-Senior
Quinton Schwartz went 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs a walk and a run scored.
-Senior
CJ Kalekas went 2-5 for with an RBI
-Sophomore
Langdon Downing came in relief for the Stars and threw 3 shut-out innings with 3 punchouts.
Leading the Way:
Hits: G. Downing (3)
2B: Kalekas, Johnson, and Schwartz (1)
RBI: Earley (3)
SB: G. Downing (2)
IP: Hannafin (4.1)
Ks: Hannafin, Phillips, and L. Downing (3)
DU would play Carthage College in game two of the doubleheader.
Game 2 Results:
Carthage: 2
Dominican: 1
How it Happened:
-Dominican carried the momentum from the win in the first game to game two with Junior
Matthew Earley hitting an RBI double to left field, allowing Graduate Student
Grayson Downing to score.
-Carthage tied the game up at 1 scoring a run on two hits in the bottom of the second.
-The Stars and the Firebirds found themselves in a dogfight, with either team not scoring a run and going into the top of the 8th inning.
-Carthage walked it off in the bottom of the 9th inning scoring a run on a hit.
Shining Stars:
-Senior
Rocco Chiarito followed up his first phenomenal start with a second amazing start against Carthage. Chiarito went 7 innings only giving up 1 run and collecting 4 strikeouts.
Graduate Student
Grayson Downing went 1-3 in the game with a walk, a run scored, and 2 stolen bases.
-Junior
Matthew Earley drove in the only RBI of the game with an RBI double to left field in the top of the first.
Leading the Way:
Hits: 5 Players (1)
SB: G.Downing (2)
RBI: Earley (1)
2B: Earley (1)
HBP: Johnson (1)
IP: Chiarito (7)
Ks: Chiarito (4)
What's Next:
The Dominican University baseball team will be right back in action tomorrow morning in Winter Haven, playing Saint Vincent College at 9:30 a.m. CT.
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