GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA. -- Gwynedd Mercy took a CSAC Doubleheader from Centenary behind the strength of their pitching staff, winning game one, 8-1, and the nightcap, 7-6.
Game one
Three pitchers combined on a three-hitter in game one while the offense scored their runs in bunches to start the day. Nick DeRitis went four innings, allowing just one hit while striking out two and walking one to pick up the victory.
In the bottom of the third, a lead-off triple from Justin Curtingave the Griffins (15-10-1, 6-5 CSAC) their first hit of the game. Curtin would score on Iziah Trimble's sac fly and later with two on, Dave Tatoian hit another triple in the inning to make it 3-0. Tatoian came home on a passed ball to cap the four-spot in the frame.
DeRitis worked out of a spot the following inning with runners at second and third with two outs, getting a grounder to short.
Gwynedd crossed four more in the fifth on just one hit and three walks. Jason Mulvey worked a walk on a full count to reach first. He would score on the team's third triple of the game, this one from Bobby Heck for a 5-0 advantage. Heck then scored on a wild pitch to add to the lead. Later in the set, with Tatoian on third andJosh Lopez on second, another Centenary wild pitch allowed the runners to advance.
Liam Sullivan worked the fifth and R.J. Boyle wrapped up the sixth and seventh to close it out. The Cyclones got their lone run in the seventh on an RBI groundout from Sean Donovan.
Heck would finish 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Tatoian and Mulvey also scored twice. Kevin Senale had two hits and a run scored for Centenary (2-18, 1-10 CSAC).
Game two
Starter Mike Di Ianni battled through 5.2 innings, getting key strikeouts in big spots while Tatoian totaled three hits and two RBI's to help lead GMercyU to the sweep.
Gwynedd looked to break it open again, plating five runs on four hits in the third. Back-to-back-to-back RBI singles from Tatoian, Ryan Keen, and Shaughn Wright along with a two-run single from Curtin highlighted the frame.
But the Cyclones would answer in the fourth, crossing four runs on three hits and two Gwynedd errors. Mike Dolan's two-run double helped pull Centenary to 5-4.
Mulvey greeted the bottom half with a lead-off triple and scored on a single from Heck. Heck reached third after stealing second and moving up on an error in which the ball went into the outfield. Tatoian grounded out to short, but it was enough to get Heck across to tack on two more runs.
Di Ianni worked out of a big jam in the fifth, getting back-to-back strikeouts with the bases loaded to squash the threat.
In the sixth, he would find himself in a similar situation, with the bags full and one out. After a sac fly to pull the Cyclones within one, Di Ianni was lifted for Sachael Sciarretta, who got the third out on a strikeout to move on to the bottom of the sixth. Sciarretta worked a 1-2-3 seventh to notch the save and help complete the sweep.
Tatoian was 3-for-4 with two runs knocked in while Curtin and Wright added two hits apiece. Di Ianni totaled five K's with just one walk, scattering four earned runs on nine hits.
Gwynedd will go for the series sweep when the two teams meet on Monday in a nine-inning affair at Centenary starting at 3 p.m.