true Immaculata 12, Gwynedd-Mercy 11 (10 in.)
2011 CSAC Tournament First-Round

BOX SCORE

GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA. -- Immaculata defeated Gwynedd-Mercy, 12-11, in 10 wild innings in a first-round game of the 2011 CSAC Tournament on Wednesday.

The Griffins, who led 6-0 after the first, had to rally in the ninth by scoring three times all with two outs to force extra innings.

Freshman Dante Cassano (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill East) drove in four runs going 4-for-5 with two doubles. Senior Jay Sechowicz (Churchville, Pa./Council Rock South) also had two doubles as GM totaled seven extra base hits, but the Griffins were guilty of 10 errors.

Cassano and junior Todd Budweg (Lansdale, Pa./Lansdale) had two-run doubles in the first inning to highlight a six-run frame, and chased out IU starter Aaron Haas. The Mighty Macs answered with a five-spot in the third on five hits and two GM errors.

After IU tied things at 7-7 in the fifth, Gwynedd had the sacks full in the bottom of the frame with two-outs but Budweg would fly out to center to end the inning.

Three errors in the seventh led to two Immaculata runs. GM got one back in the inning on a solo homer from freshman John Burns (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) to make it a 9-8 game.

A RBI on a sac fly and later a run from a passed ball in the eighth put the Griffins in a 11-8 hole.

In the ninth, Gwynedd (16-14-1) plated three runs all coming with two outs. Sophomore Josh Martin (Pottstown, Pa./St. Pius X) led off the ninth with a double to left. It looked like the rally would stall after a groundout and and strikeout, but Sechowicz knocked Martin home with his second double on the day. Cassano followed to single home Sechowicz to cut it to 11-10. Freshman Josh Van Horn (Brookhaven, Pa./Monsignor Bonner) brought home pinch runner Kevin Smeraglio (Newtown, Pa./Holy Ghost) to knot it up at 11-all.

IU broke the tie in the 10th on a bases-loaded RBI single Elijah Votte. Freshman pitcher Andrew Schaefer (Penndel, Pa./Conwell-Egan), who came on to start the inning, retired the first two batters he faced before a hit by pitch and two walks suddenly put the bags full. Schaefer suffered the loss, his first on the season.

The Griffins had the tying run 90-feet away but a groundout to second ended the contest in the bottom of the 10th.

Richard Cusic earned the win for IU (19-13)

Gwynedd will now play Neumann, who dropped a 5-3 decision to top-seeded Keystone, in an elimination game on Friday at 3 p.m. at Bear Stadium in Boyertown, Pa.