ARLINGTON, Va. – Freshman Casey Baker launched his first collegiate home run, a three-run bomb in the fourth inning, to blow open the Marymount baseball lead against Hampden-Sydney on Monday afternoon, taking the 11-5 victory for its third-straight win.
Baker paced an offense that put up 11 runs on 13 hits with two hits on five at-bats for four RBI and two runs. Senior Kaden Darrow came through with three hits and freshman James DiGiulian added two hits, while each finished with two runs and a RBI.
The Saints (12-10) never trailed in the game, putting across a pair of runs in each of the first two innings. Baker got the scoring started for the day with a RBI single to score Darrow, before junior Austin Sizemore doubled to left field to bring home Baker. In the second inning, DiGiulian brought in senior Javier Herrera on a RBI single to the left-field line before junior Nick Smutko scored on a wild pitch.
On the defensive side, sophomore Justin DiDonato earned the start on the bump, holding the Tigers scoreless until the third. The only runs scored by Hampden-Sydney in the game came off home runs in third and fifth innings. Although that accumulated five runs for the Tigers, the Saints had no issues extending their lead with six runs in the fourth.
The fourth had a RBI single by Darrow, a sacrifice fly by junior Conner Hall to score DiGiulian, and the three-run homer by Baker to get the starting Tiger pitcher off the mound. With two outs, a single up the middle by Smutko brought around the sixth run for MU, scoring Sizemore from third.
The final run of the game came in the seventh when Darrow laid down a bunt that the pitcher mishandled on the throw to first, reaching on an error, and DiGiulian rounded third to head home for the 11-5 lead.
The final four innings for the Saints was split on the mound by juniors Patrick Berthelette and Ryan Scheufele, combining for just three hits, no runs, and three strikeouts. DiDonato earned the win on the mound, his first of the season, fanning five through five innings of work.
The Saints return to CAC play on Wednesday, April 4, hosting Salisbury University for a single nine-inning game at Bishop O'Connell High School. Start time is set for 1 p.m.