Immaculata, Pa. – Trailing by a run and down to its last out, Keystone College scored three runs, highlighted by Austin Chaszar (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown Regional)'s go-ahead, two-run home run to claim a wild, 14-12 victory in game two of Saturday's Colonial States Athletic Conference baseball doubleheader at Immaculata University. The Giants (23-7, 9-3 CSAC) were able to salvage a split of the twin-bill and win the regular season series after dropping the opener to the Mighty Macs (19-16, 9-6 CSAC), 10-2.
Game 1
Immaculata took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single by Ryan Tecco, but Keystone leveled the score at one-apiece when Louis Reyes (Port St. Lucie, FL/Treasure Coast) singled home Alex Herceg (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) with one out in the top of the third inning.
The Mighty Macs countered with four runs on two hits and one error in the home third to build a 5-1 advantage. The hosts scored their runs in the inning with a pair of squeeze bunts, a Keystone error, and a wild pitch to stake out the four-run advantage.
Herceg doubled home Billy Nelson (Moscow, PA/North Pocono) with two outs in the top of the fourth inning to cut the Giants' deficit to 5-2, but Immaculata pushed their lead back to four runs with an RBI groundout in the bottom of the fifth inning before plating four runs in the home sixth to open up a 10-2 advantage with Tecco and Howie Kalamets delivering two-run hits for the Mighty Macs.
Immaculata starter Dan Whalen improve to 5-1 on the season with a complete game effort, allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out nine batters on the day for the Mighty Macs, who were paced offensively by Tecco's 3-3, four RBI performance.
Keystone starting pitcher James Dunning (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) took the loss after yielding three earned runs on seven hits while striking out four batters in 4.1 innings. Preston Hartvigsen (Escondido, CA/San Pasqual) walked the only batter he faced before turning the ball over to Jack Simons (Great Falls, VA/Bullis School), who was charged with four runs on two hits while picking up a pair of strikeouts.
Nate Ross (Albuquerque, NM/La Cueva) led the Giants with a 3-3 showing at the plate while Herceg added a pair of hits in the game one setback.
Game 2
Keystone jumped out to a 6-0 lead in their first at-bats of Saturday's nightcap scoring six runs on five hits. Ross drove in Reyes with a single through the left side before Chris Triano (Greenwich, CT/Rye) launched a three-run home run over the left field fence. Tony Hunter II (Atlanta, GA/South Effingham) scored on an RBI groundout from Randy Torres (Bronx, NY/All Hallows) before Herceg came home on a Robbie Nardelli (Eynon, PA/Valley View) sacrifice fly.
In the top of the third inning, Julian Lanfranco (Brooklyn, NY/Xaverian) drove in Torres with a base hit through the right side before coming home on a Brandon Eady (Bowie, MD/DeMatha Catholic) singe to push the Giants lead to 8-0.
The Mighty Macs got on the board with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning before Triano launched his second home run of the game, and seventh of the spring, a solo shot to left center to give Keystone a 9-2 advantage.
In the home fifth, Immaculata took advantage of three errors by the Giants and five hits to score nine run as the hosts rallied to take an 11-9 lead. Keystone answered right back in the top of sixth inning with a pair of runs to level the contest at 11-apiece as Joseph Santana (Union City, NJ/Juan Pablo Duarte) scored on a Herceg single before coming home with the tying run on a Brady Barr (Bowie, MD/Bowie) double.
The Mighty Macs went back ahead, 12-11, on an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth and were one out away from completing the doubleheader sweep when, down to Keystone's last out, Herceg tripled home pinch runner Simons to tie the game at 12-12. Chaszar then launched a two-run home run over the wall in left field to give the Giants a 14-12 lead.
Keystone starter Jesse Arnold (Stuart, FL/Port Saint Lucie) took a no-decision after allowing two runs on seven hits and one strikeout in three innings of work. Nick Spinella (Bethel, CT/Bethel) pitched a scoreless inning before giving way to Steven Moran (Yonkers, NY/Riverside), who was tagged with six runs – none of which were earned – with one strikeout. Dylan Leahy (Maybrook, NY/Valley Central) was charged with two runs on two hits while Yeison Andujar (Carolina, PR/Programa Educativo Alcance) pitched the final 2.2 innings, picking up his second win over the year despite surrendering a pair of unearned runs on two hits.
Triano went 3-4 with four RBIs while Herceg had three hits while driving in a pair of runs for the Giants, who outhit Immaculata 18-13.
Immaculata's Nick Campione suffered the loss as the last of five pitchers used by the hosts after giving up three runs on three hits in 1.2 innings for the Mighty Macs, who got three hits apiece from Jason McCormick and Mike Lascomb.
Up Next
Keystone will return to the diamond on Tuesday afternoon with a non-conference game at Misericordia University. First pitch between the Giants and Cougars is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. in Dallas, Pennsylvania.