CHESTER, NY -- The Gwynedd Mercy University Men's Baseball team traveled to New York on Saturday to open up their final regular-season series of the season against Centenary College. The Griffins dropped both games in the doubleheader, 2-1 in the first, and 11-4, in the second. The two teams will play Monday to decide the fourth and final playoff spot in the Colonial States Athletic Conference Tournament which begins next Thursday.
In game one,
Mike Di Ianni recorded a career-high 13 strikeouts in a tough-luck loss. The sophomore went all seven innings and gave up only four hits and four walks with just one earned run.
Chris Hens also reached a career milestone in game one, notching his 100th hit in the fourth inning.
The Griffins (18-19, 9-8 CSAC) took and early 1-0 lead on a bases loaded walk in the second inning but Centenary would tie the game in the fourth on an outfield error and take the lead in the fifth on lead-off home run. GMercyU would get a runner on base in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, but could get the equalizer.
Di Ianni's counterpart Trey Hinkle struck out five for the Cyclones to earn the victory.
The Cyclones jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in game two and used a two-out rally in the fourth to plate five runs in the frame for a 7-0 advantage. The Griffins would answer in the home half of the fourth with RBI's from
Tommy Nardini and
Justin Curtin.
Centenary would add insurance runs in the sixth and seventh while the Griffins plated two runs in the seventh on RBI's from
Beau Fleming and
Shaughn Wright.
David Blount and Curtin each finished with a pair of hits in the night cap. Casey Brown and Kevin Sensale each knocked three runs apiece for Centenary (19-13, 9-8 CSAC)
The Griffins and Cyclones will return back to action on Monday.
