Small Ball Lifts Marywood Over Cairn, 4-2
Bryan Noonan got his second win of the season on the mound after 7.1 innings of work

Small Ball Lifts Marywood Over Cairn, 4-2

Baseball - 4/9/2014 4:43:00 PM

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Scranton, PA - Marywood University played small ball to pick up their first conference win of the season, as the Pacers used four bunts in the bottom of the third inning to score four runs, then held off Cairn University for a 4-2 win.  Marywood got 7.1 strong innings from Bryan Noonan on the mound and 1.2 innings of scoreless relief from Joseph DiLoreto to secure the win.  The Pacers improve to 6-6 overall and 1-2 in league play while the Highlanders move to 3-20, 0-11. 

After a scoreless two and a half innings of play, Marywood scored four runs in the bottom of the third.  Erik Pulkinnen led off the inning with a single to right, then Daniel Hull reached first on a bunt single.  Hull and Pulkinnen would advance to second and third when Mike Diskin got a bunt single as well to load the bases.

Thomas Richards was then hit by a pitch to force home Pulkinnen, and Tommy Smith then reached a sacrifice bunt attempt that resulted in a two-base throwing error, allowing both Hull and Diskin to score and Richards to move to third.  After Smith stole second and a flyout to center, Zack Klien scored Richards on a squeeze bunt to make it 4-0.

Cairn would finally get to Noonan in the sixth, when they picked up an infield single and stolen base to get a runner in scoring position to start the inning.  After a flyout to right, Caleb Lang singled to left to score Joey Nieves-Markee from second and make it 4-1.  Noonen would get out of the inning without further damage being done, but Cairn cut the Pacers lead in half in the top of the eighth. 

After Lang reached on an error to start the inning, a double by Kenneth Searle gave the Highlanders runners on second and third with no outs.  Lang would score on a wild pitch to make it 4-2.  Noonan got one more out and then walked another batter, and with a pinch hitter coming to the plate, Coach Jerry Davis went to the bullpen and brought in Joseph DiLoreto.

DiLoreto got the pinch hitter swinging for the inning's second out, then got a flyout to end the inning. DiLoreto would pitch a scoreless ninth to pick up his first save of the year.

Noonan (2-1) struck out five over 7.1 innings of work, alling one earned run on six hits.  DiLoreto struck out two while allowing just one hit in 1.2 innings of relief work.

Diskin led the Pacers with a 2-for-4 day at the plate.  Richards, Smith and Klien all picked up RBIs. 

Marywood returns to action Friday when they host Valley Forge College in a non-conference twinbill. 
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