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true 4 Gwynedd Mercy participated in the Russmatt Baseball 2014 Central Florida Invitational over their Spring Break. The Griffins played seven games over the course of seven days and finished the week with four wins and three losses.
Concordia (MN) 7, Gwynedd Mercy 3
BOX SCOREOn Saturday the Griffins dropped their opener to Concordia-Moorhead (MN) 7-3. Gwynedd scored in the third when
Dante Cassano (Cherry Hill, N.J. / Cherry Hill East) drove in
David Blount (Croydon, Pa. / Harry S. Truman) on a sacrifice fly. The Cobbers would pull away from GM with a five-run fifth inning. The Griffins fought back in the seventh, plating two runs when Cassano knocked in another run and
John Burns (Levittown, Pa. / Neshaminy) later singled him home. The Griffins put a runner on in the 9th but the rally went quiet when they lined into a double play. Former Philadelphia Phillie Chris Coste, an assistant coach on Concordia's staff met with the team after the game. He talked to individual players and passed around his 2008 World Series ring for all to see.
Gwynedd Mercy 4, St. John Fisher 1 (Game 1)
St. John Fisher 1, Gwynedd Mercy 0 (Game 2)
BOX SCORE Game 1 | BOX SCORE Game 2Gwynedd bounced back on Sunday splitting a doubleheader with St. John Fisher (NY), winning game one, 4-1, and falling in a pitcher's duel, 1-0 in game two. Junior pitcher
Matt Rakus (Sewell, N.J. / St. Augustine) went the distance in game one, throwing a complete game on just one earned run. The Griffins offense came alive late in the contest. In the sixth, GM would score three runs. Freshman
Frank Saviski (Aston, Pa. / Monsignor Bonner) singled to score Burns, who earlier led off the inning with a hit by pitch. Pinch runner
Rich Young (Havertown, Pa. / Monsignor Bonner) would later score on a wild pitch and a
Chris Hens' (Horsham, Pa. / Hatboro-Horsham) RBI groundout would cap the Gwynedd scoring in the sixth.
Tom Bordi (Voorhees, N.J. / Eastern) would add an insurance run with his RBI pinch-hit single in the next inning to give Rakus all the support he needed as he worked out of a jam with two on. Rakus got two fly outs to end it.
Rick Elfreth (Washington Twp, N.J. / St. Augustine) was the tough luck loser in game two, as the Griffins were unable to plate him a run. Elfreth scattered five hits while striking out six but the offense was held to two hits.
Gwynedd Mercy 8, Coe (IA) 4
BOX SCOREJamey Minnemeyer (Lansdale, Pa. / Lansdale Catholic) went eight strong innings on Tuesday to give help Gwynedd to an 8-4 victory over Coe (IA). The junior fanned six while walking just two. The Griffin bats came alive early, scoring four runs in the first inning. A pair of walks led to RBI's from Cassano and Elfreth, scoring both Blount and
Mike Marchitto (Voorhees, N.J. / Eastern). Art Flemming (Bellmawr, N.J. / Triton) would cap the inning with two-out RBI double that scored Saviski. Hens added an RBI triple in the seventh to tack on some insurance.
Saint Vincent 12, Gwynedd Mercy 10
BOX SCORE The Griffins would lose a slugfest to Saint Vincent (PA) on Wednesday, 12-10. A Marchitto RBI triple got the offense going in the first inning. GM continued their hot start at the plate scoring four in the second with RBI's from Hens and Elfreth. Cassano would cap the inning plating two with his two run double. A Saviski double would score two more in the fifth. Elfreth and Marchitto would add their second RBI's of the day in the sixth.
Carlo Randazzo (Sewell, N.J. / St. Augustine) added two hits on the day, as he would single in a run to cap the three run sixth. Defense would be the Griffins' Achilles heel, as GM committed four errors on the day allowing the Bearcats to score three runs late in the ballgame. Saviski had four hits on the day as the freshman was one shy of tying the program record for most in a game.
Gwynedd Mercy 3, Aurora (IL) 0
BOX SCOREThe Baseball gods were on the Griffins side on Thursday as Gwynedd blanked Aurora (IL) 3-0 in a rain shortened five-inning affair.
DJ Mallon (Malvern, Pa. / Great Valley) allowed two hits on the day, while walking two and striking out three. Blount had a hand in all three of the Griffin runs, scoring in the first inning on a passed ball. He would later double in the second to drive home Hens, then come around to score on an Elfreth RBI groundout. As soon as the Griffins recorded the third out in the top of the fifth to make the game official, the heavens opened up and the contest was called.
Gwynedd Mercy 9, Suffolk (MA) 1
BOX SCOREGwynedd capped off their trip with an impressive 9-1 victory over Suffolk (MA) on Friday. Rakus picked up the victory on the mound going eight strong innings, striking out six and giving up an unearned run for his second win of the week. A Marchitto two-run double put the Griffins on the board in the first inning. In the third, Saviski and
Eric Heaney (Ambler, Pa. / Hatboro-Horsham) both added RBI singles for a 3-0 lead. After Rakus worked out of a bases loaded spot with no outs in the fourth, he would yield just two baserunners the rest of the way.
Marchitto batted a team-high .417 (10-for-24) with five RBI's, three runs, a pair of stolen bases while posting a .583 slugging and .517 on-base percentage.
Rakus also looked good, going 2-0 with one earned run in 15 innings (0.60 ERA). He struck out 8 while yielding just one walk.
The Griffins' game at Rowan on Wednesday has been rescheduled for March 25th. Gwynedd will try to have their home opener and conference opener on Friday when they welcome Immaculata in a 3 p.m. start.
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