Pacers Drop CSAC Double to Gwynedd
TJ Czerw hit his first homer of the year in the opener but Marywood's rallies in both games against GMC fell short

Pacers Drop CSAC Double to Gwynedd

- 4/5/2009 5:46:03 PM

GAME 1 BOX SCORE

GAME 2 BOX SCORE

Scranton, PA – Gwynedd-Mercy held off a late Marywood rallies in each game for a pair of wins Sunday afternoon in Colonial States Athletic Conference baseball action. The Griffins beat the Pacers 7-5 in the opener and 11-8 in the nightcap. The wins improve GMC to 14-7 overall and 5-0 in CSAC action while the Pacers slip to 6-12 (0-2 CSAC).

Down 2-0 in the opener after the Griffins' half of the first, Marywood tied the game after a Matt Newcomb (Honesdale, PA) RBI double in the first and David Lewis (Scranton, PA) RBI single to right center in the second. Marywood starter Korey Evans (Goshen, NY) worked himself out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the fourth with an infield fly and fly-out to right to end the Gwynedd threat.

In the bottom of the fourth, West Scranton product TJ Czerw (Scranton, PA) started things for Marywood with a double to deep right. Czerw would move to third on a wild pitch and advance home to give the Pacers a 3-2 lead on Lewis' RBI single down the right-field line. Lewis would move to third on a Pat Diskin (Clarks Summit, PA) shot down the left-field line but would be stranded there as the inning ended on a routine grounder to second.

GMC did not wait long to answer as the Griffins batted around in a five-run fifth. Scott Carroll's RBI single to center scored Albert DiDomenico to start things, and the Griffins took a 5-3 lead on Austin Ley's two-run triple deep down the right-field line. GMC went up three on Dan Strack's single to center later in the inning and went ahead 7-3 on Mike Albert's double to deep right. Evans would get a pop-out and strikeout to end the inning with the bases loaded and no more damage done.

The Pacers tried to answer as Czerw blasted a two-out, two-run homer to right to make it 7-5, but the Marywood comeback would end there as Griffin starter Tim McMenamin got a fly-out to left to end the inning Marywood fifth. The Griffins would leave the bases loaded again in the sixth as Marywood's reliever Tim Freda (Westbury, NY) struck out two and got a groundout mixed around a walk and two hit-batsmen.

McMenamin moved to 6-0 on the year after allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits while striking out one over five full innings of work. Andrew Sinon got the save, his first of the year, pitching a scoreless seventh for GMC. Lay was 2-2 in the opener with a double, triple and three RBI to lead the Griffins offensively. Czerw was 2-3 with a double, home-run and two RBI for the Pacers while Lewis was also 2-3 with a double. Evans took the loss on the mound to fall to 2-2 on the year. Freda pitched the final two innings for Marywood, striking out three while not allowing a run.

In the nightcap, DiDomenico opened the game with a triple and give the Griffins a 1-0 lead after scoring on a passed ball. The Griffins doubled their lead in the second after Albert tripled to start the inning and scored on a Strack single to center and went up 3-0 on a sacrifice fly later in the inning. Strack would extend the GMC lead to 4-0 in the third with another RBI single, this time splitting the gap with a shot to left-center. After going up 5-0 on a two-out, bases loaded walk, a routine grounder to second plated two runs when a throwing error extended the Griffin lead to 7-0.

Newcomb would get Marywood on the board in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI single to center that scored Ryan Cusomato (Sparta, NJ). However, after a bases loaded walk in the fifth gave GMC an 8-1 lead, the Griffins went up by nine (10-1) on a bases loaded two-run single by McMenamin. A sacrifice fly would extend the Griffin lead to 11-1 before Marywood could get out of the inning.

A Cusomato double to right center in the bottom of the fifth cut the Griffin lead to 11-3. Marywood rallied a bit in the seventh when a Jeff Cleary (Parsippany, NJ) RBI single and Ed Zakrzewski three-run triple cut the Griffin lead to 11-7. Jason Bugno (Clarks Summit, PA) then made it 11-8 with a RBI double to right. That rally ended there however as Gwynedd closer Ryan Mulderig got a groundout to first to end the Pacers rally.

Mason Webster (Hop Bottom, PA) took the loss on the mound for Marywood in the nightcap, falling to 1-2 on the year after allowing three earned runs (seven total) on five hits. Rick Clifford (Scranton, PA) pitched two full innings, allowing four runs on two hits while striking out three, and Josh Plisko (Moosic, PA) pitched the sixth and seventh, striking out three over two full. Cusomato finished the nightcap 2-3 with a double and two RBI.

McNamara got the win for the Griffins to improve to 3-1. McNamara went 4.2 innings and allowed three runs on six hits while striking out one. Ed Windhaus pitched 1.1 innings for GMC, striking out two while allowing one hit. Steve Sable pitched two-thirds of the seventh, allowing five unearned runs before being replaced by Mulderig for the game's final out. Strack led the Griffins offensively, going 2-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. McMenamin also picked up a pair of RBI as part of his 1-3 effort. DiDomenico and Albert each registered triples for GMC.

Marywood returns to action Monday when they play Misericordia University at PNC Field in Moosic at 4:00 pm. The Pacers and Griffins will conclude their three-game series with a single game Tuesday at 3:00 pm in Gwynedd Valley.
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