St. Mary's City, Md. – Pitchers come through for St. Mary's College of Maryland and SUNY Oneonta in Saturday's non-conference doubleheader. St. Mary's (4-7) rallies for 2-1 win in the first game of the twin bill while Oneonta State (1-5) holds on for its first win of the season, a 1-0 decision in the nightcap.
Senior RHP Devon Jerrard (Hunt Valley, Md./Boys' Latin) picked up the win for the Seahawks as Jerrard improved to 2-0 on the season, allowing one run on seven hits in 6.0 innings pitched. He fanned four Red Dragon batters while walking just one. Junior closer Sam Coe (Bethesda, Md./Walter Johnson) notched the save with one hitless inning of work. Coe retired the side in order, including striking out the last batter.
Oneonta struck first in the top of the third inning as senior Bobby Peluso (Rensselaer, N.Y./Columbia) led off the inning with an infield single, advanced to second on a ground out to the shortstop, and went to third on a fly out to right field. Junior Chris Orlando (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) then singled to right center to bring home Peluso for the 1-0 Red Dragon lead. The next batter flied out to end the inning.
The score remained the same until the bottom of the sixth inning when St. Mary's answered. Following a lead-off ground out to third base, sophomores Zach Nadolny (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air) and Jared Eaker (Mechanicsville, Md./Leonardtown) connected on back-to-back singles and junior captain Alex Lenovitz (Baltimore, Md./Calvert Hall) drew a walk to load the bases. Nadolny scores the first run on a poke through the right side by first-year Michael O'Neill (Berlin, Md./Stephen Decatur), who came in as a pinch hitter. Senior Carlos Cruz (Lexington Park, Md./Great Mills) pinch-ran for Eaker and crossed home plate on senior outfielder Mike Schmidt's (Burtonsville, Md./Blake) sac fly to centerfield. The next Seahawk batter popped out to end the inning.
Eaker and senior catcher Stefano Muscatelli (Warwick, R.I./Toll Gate) paced the home team at the plate in the first game with two hits apiece. In the second game, five different Seahawks picked up a hit.
It was another pitchers' duel in the second game of the doubleheader but this time, the Red Dragons were able to hold off St. Mary's for the 1-0 triumph.
The game remained scoreless until the top of the sixth inning when Oneonta State put up a run on the board. Peluso started the inning by getting hit by a pitch, then advancing to second on a sac bunt and moving to third on a single by senior Dean Haussel (Sound Beach, N.Y./Miller Place). Orlando's sac fly brought Peluso home for the 1-0 lead. The next batter flied out to end the inning.
In their half of the sixth inning, the Seahawks had runners on second and third with two outs but could not muster another hit to push one across the plate. Senior captain Wick Eisenberg (Towson, Md./Friends) kept St. Mary's hopes alive as Eisenberg sat down the first two Red Dragon batters in the seventh before walking the third one. He ended the inning by getting the fourth batter to foul out.
Following a lead-off ground out, Schmidt singled then Muscatelli reached on a fielder's choice. But that's as far as the Seahawks got as Schmidt was thrown out at second and Muscatelli was called out on an interference call. Eisenberg (1-2) was saddled with the loss despite scattering just four hits in 7.0 solid innings of work, striking out a pair.
Haussel paced the Red Dragons at the plate over the two games with three hits while sophomore Steve Ascher (Mattituck, N.Y./Mattituck) tallied the win with 6.1 innings pitched and seven strikeouts and senior Jim Hegmann (Middletown, N.Y./Pine Bush) recorded the save.
St. Mary's departs for Vero Beach, Florida tomorrow morning for its Spring Break trip. The Seahawks' first opponent will be Bridgewater State University on Monday, March 11 at 1:00 pm.
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