BUENA VISTA, Va. — The Southern Vermont College baseball team opened its 2015 campaign Saturday afternoon, splitting a doubleheader at Southern Virginia University. SVC fell 7-0 to the Knights to start the day but bounced back for a 12-6 win in six innings during the backend of the twin bill.
Southern Vermont begins the season 1-1 while SVU moves to 1-2 with the day's share.
Game 1: Southern Virginia 7, Southern Vermont 0
The Knights scored two runs in the bottom of the second and followed with another in the third to grab a 3-0 cushion. Southern Virginia tacked on four more in its last two trips to the plate for the hosts' first win of the season.
Mountaineer senior center fielder Sal Sciara (Massapequa, New York) went 1-2 with a pair of walks from the lead-off spot while classmate and shortstop Chris Nicastro Jr. (Kenilworth, New Jersey) was 1-3 with a walk.
Sophomore first baseman Zach McNally (Salem, Virginia) was 2-3 with a pair of runs and a walk for the Knights, and junior designated hitter Madison Hildebrandt (Corona, Louisiana) had a 2-3 performance at the dish, knocking in a run while scoring two.
SVU right-hander Bradley Jackson (Gunnison, Utah) picked up the win from the bump (1-0), going a hitless 5.2 innings while striking out six and walking seven. Mountaineer sophomore Joshua Hay (South Glens Falls, New York) went four innings for SVC, striking out two Knights while allowing two earned runs in the loss (1-0).
Game 2: Southern Vermont 12, Southern Virginia 6 (6 inn.)
SVC used a squeeze to score a pair of runs and added another to start the game, but Southern Virginia answered with three of its own to tie it. That's when the Mountaineers exploded for eight runs in the top of the second, three coming on the first collegiate home run by junior second baseman RJ Pingitore(Amsterdam, New York). His blast was followed by a three-run double by freshman designated hitterJake Sisk (Tallahassee, Florida), and SVC put up two more to go on top 11-3.
The Knights came back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second on singles by Fenn and Hildebrandt, but SVC responded with a score on a single by freshman left fielder Eric Fields (Lakewood, California). Play was scoreless through the next two innings before Southern Virginia tacked on one in the bottom of the sixth in a failed attempt to extend the game; Southern Vermont took its first win of the season and first victory in Virginia in 15 games.
Sciara was 3-5 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI while Nicastro Jr. was 2-4 with a walk and a pair of runs scored. Senior first baseman Cody LaBadia (Howes Cave, New York) was 1-4 with a walk and three runs scored, and Sisk finished the game 1-4 with the three RBIs and a run scored. Senior right fielder Roland Hernandez (Pico Rivera, California) went 3-4 at the dish from the nine-hole, batting in a run and scoring another.
Knight freshman center fielder Luke Smith (River Heights, Utah) went 3-4 at the dish with an RBI and a run scored while Hildebrandt knocked in three on his 2-4 showing at the plate.
Freshman right-hander Nick Hartman (Hartland, Connecticut) picked up the win (1-0) in his first collegiate start on the mound for the Mountaineers, giving up five runs in four innings of action while striking out four. SVU freshman righty Seth Burris (Galax, Virginia) suffered the loss after letting up six runs on five hits in 1.2 innings of work.
The Mountaineers are back on the road next weekend as they visit Hood College in Maryland on Friday for a 3 p.m. first pitch. SVU plays next on Tuesday in a 3 p.m. game at Washington and Lee University.