Devils Sweep Deacons

Strike Three!  That was the call on nearly two dozen batters from Bloomfield College on Saturday as the University of the Sciences men's baseball team produced solid pitching and some timely hitting and recorded a doubleheader sweep of the deacons, 3-2 and 7-1 at Richie Ashburn Field in Philadelphia.

The sweep, the Devils second Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference sweep of the season improved their record to 5-14 overall and 4-4 in CACC games.  Bloomfield fell to 8-18 overall and 4-4 in league play.  The Devils now have three more CACC wins this season than they did in 2010.

USciences starters Dan McMahon (game 1) and Luke Peyton (game 2) combined to strikeout 23 batters while pitching 17 of the 18 innings played.  Peyton pitched his second complete game of the year, allowing seven hits and 1 run (unearned) while striking out 11 while McMahon went eight innings in the opener, striking out 12 and allowing just four hits and two runs (one earned).  Adam Kissinger came on in relief in the ninth inning of game one and with just seven pitches recorded the first save of his college career.

On the offensive end, the Devils got just four hits in the opener all but one of which contributed to their three runs.  With the game tied at 2-2 a one-out single by Nick Szalejko put the potential go-ahead run at second base, bringing up Will Rebman.  Rebman hit a double-play ball that got the force at second but was thrown wide by Bloomfield's second baseman, allowing pinch runner Connor Lennox to score from second with the eventual winning run.

Two innings earlier the Devils tied the game at 2-2 when Szalejko tripled with one out and scored on an infield groundout by Rebman. Kyle Davis drilled a single down the left field line and took the extra base on a wide throw by the Deacons left fielder in the second inning, leading to the Devils first run.  After getting sacrificed to third byDennis Murphy, Davis then scored on a wild pitch to give the Devils a 1-0 lead.

In the nightcap, the Devils first four batters all rapped out hits  as they scored three times in the first inning en route to a 7-1 win.   Szalejko singled followed by a double by Rebman and RBI singles from Pete LaRocco and Davis.  Mark Perry drove in the third Devils run with a sacrifice fly.

Bloomfield scored their only run in the top of the seventh, picking up an unearned run on an infield groundout.

Sciences then blew the game open with a four run outburst in the bottom of the seventh inning.  Davis singled with one and scored on a Perry double.  A wild pitch then a single byLou Tomasetti scored Perry.  Murphy then delivered a two-out single and Lennox a double.  Jay Andrews followed with a double to score both runners and make the final score 7-1.

The Devils are back in action on Sunday, April 3, 2011 when they host Philadelphia University at Richie Ashburn Field.  First pitch is at 12:00 p.m.