D'Antonio's First Career Long-Ball Highlights Marywood Sweep of Doubleheader
Dan D'Antonio's big fly in the sixth propelled Marywood to a 2-0 win and a sweep of Neumann Saturday

D'Antonio's First Career Long-Ball Highlights Marywood Sweep of Doubleheader

- 3/29/2008 8:36:08 PM

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

Aston, PA - Marywood University senior Dan D'Antonio collected his first career home run as Marywood University took both ends of a PAC doubleheader at Neumann College Saturday in Aston.  D'Antonio (New Milford, CT) connected in the sixth inning of the opener and Marywood earned a 2-0 win.  In the nightcap, the Pacers topped the Knights 5-3 to improve to 5-5 (2-0 PAC) on the year.

Marywood took a 1-0 lead in the opener in the top of the first after Justin Linko (Scranton, PA) doubled to left and later scored on Chris Shewack's (Mountaintop, PA) RBI single to left.  The Pacers would hold that 1-0 lead until D'Antonio's homer in the sixth gave Marywood at two-run cushion.  That two-run lead would be all starting pitcher Greg Cleary (Parsippany, NJ) would need to move to 3-0 on the year as Cleary went the distance on the mound for Marywood, striking out four while scattering five hits.  Linko was the lone Pacer with two hits on the day.  Ryan Nason led Neumann by going 2-3 at the plate, while Sean Fitzgerald took the loss on the mound after a complete-game, four strike-out effort.

In the nightcap, Marywood again jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI double from Shewack which scored Ryan Cusomato (Sparta, NJ).  After Marywood went up 2-0 in the fifth on a Jason Bugno (Clarks Summit, PA) RBI single to center, Neumann answered with a two-run sixth of their own to knot the game at 2-2.  Marywood then exploded for a three-run seventh highlighted by Bugno's RBI single to left and Linko's RBI single to right.

Neumann made the game interesting again in the bottom of the seventh.  With the bases loaded and Marywood reliever Korey Evans (Goshen, NY) entering to replace starter Mark Granquist (Honesdale, PA), Neumann forced a walk with the bases loaded to make it 5-3.  However, Evans would respond by striking out the next batter to pick up his second save of the year.

Granquist improved to 2-2 on the year after going 6.2 innings and striking out four on the day.  Neumann starter Raymond Schmoltze went the distance on the mound allowing three earned runs on seven hits while striking out three Pacers.  Offensively, Bugno led Marywood after going 2-3 while Shewack was 1-3 with a double and an RBI.  Alburger led the Knight bats with a 2-3 effort at the plate.

Marywood will host Neumann College and Penn State Berks Sunday.  The Neumann game, with first pitch scheduled for 12:00 pm, is a nine-inning single game rescheduled from Friday.  The Penn State Berks game, originally set as a doubleheader, will also be a nine-inning single game.  First pitch against the Nittany Lions will take place approximately a half an hour after the completion of the Neumann game. 
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