Emerson College Baseball Upended In Two By Muhlenberg To Start Off Spring Break

Recap, photo courtesy of Emerson College

THE BASICS 

Game 1 Score: Muhlenberg 4, Emerson 3

Game 2 Score: Muhlenberg 15, Emerson 0

Records: Emerson Lions (0-3) ; Muhlenberg Mules (2-0)

Game 1 Pitching Decision: WP: RJ Hennessey (1-0)  | LP: Brian Fisher (0-1) | S: Jake Lebovitch (1)

Game 2 Pitching Decision: WP: Matthew D'Ambrosia (1-0) | LP: Sam Knox (0-1) 

Location: Auburndale, Fla. (Lake Myrtle Field #2)

Date: Sunday, March 3, 2019

The Lead: Junior Joe Paladino (Bedminster, N.J.) collected a pair of hits while three Lions each drove in runs in the Emerson baseball team's first game of a doubleheader with Muhlenberg, but were upended 4-3. In the afternoon game, the Lions were shutout 15-0 by the Mules to wrap the day on Sunday. 

GAME ONE: Muhlenberg 4, Emerson 3

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Paladino paced the Emerson bats, finishing 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored as six more Lions batted one hit apiece and RBIs driven in by sophomores Ryan McCahan (San Jose, Calif.) and Dylan Scarfo (Upper Montclair, N.J.) and junior Cam Beattie (Gilbert, Ariz.)
• Junior Jack Fox (Los Angeles, Calif.) took to the rubber for the first five frames and allowed two runs on 10 hits while he fanned six batters. 
• Fisher shouldered the loss as he surrendered two runs on three hit with one walk through .2 innings. 
• John Serruto, Chris Gillo and Matt Riebesell combined for nine of Muhlenberg's 13 hits with Cameron Miller connecting for a pair in a 2-for-2 day. 
• Hennessey pitched seven innings and allowed three runs to cross on seven hits all while walking two batters and striking out seven. 
• Lebovitch picked up the save in one inning of relief, surrendering one hit alongside a walk and strikeout.

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Emerson plated to runs in the first two frames to take a quick 2-0 lead over Muhlenberg with the first Lions score crossing when McCahan sent a two-out single into center to score freshman Louis Davolio (Worcester, Mass.). 
• The Lions tagged Hennessey with another run as Beattie drove in Paladino after smacking a double down the right field line. 
• Muhlenberg threatened within the second with runners on first and second on back-to-back singles, but Fox sent two Mules back to the dugout down on strikes to escape the inning.
• Once again in the fourth, the Mules itched to get on the board with runners on every base, yet Fox escaped unscathed after fanning the final two batters to hold Emerson's 2-0 lead. 
• Emerson was able to tack on another run in the top half of the fifth frame when Scarfo reach on an infield single to the shortstop with the Lions now ahead 3-0. 
• Muhlenberg used the home half of the fifth and put themselves within one (3-2) on John Avallone's sacrifice fly into center followed by Riebessel dropping a double into right. 
• In a sixth inning that began with a single, three stolen bases and a hit batsman, Emerson juiced the bases with two outs with a walk, but could not capitalize for a strikeout capped off the inning.
• Muhlenberg took advantage of Emerson not plating with the bases loaded and jumped ahead 4-3 when R Cappadona took Fisher deep with a two-out two-run homer into right. 
• Paladino gave Emerson a chance in the top of the seventh and sent a two-out three bagger into the left center gap before the game ended on a fly out to left. 

GAME TWO: Muhlenberg 15, Emerson 0

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Sophomore Erich Vinacco (Bolton, Mass.) picked up a pair of hits in a 2-for-2 day in the box with freshman Quinton Copeland (Houston, Tex.), Paladino and junior Joe Cuccio (Jefferson, N.J.) each collecting a hit. 
• Knox opened the first 2.1 innings on the mound, shouldering the loss after giving up seven runs on seven hits. 
• Muhlenberg boasted five batters with two hits apiece and was led by Cappadona, who picked up three RBIs on a 2-for-3 day that also included a run scored. 
• Five Mules also plated two runs each and four who drove in two RBIs. 
• D'Ambrosia silenced the Emerson bats through five innings and allowed four hits to go with three walks and seven strikeouts, while Jared Hildreth and Jake Dollinger finished the final two frames allowing one hit, two walks and struck out three. 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Neither team scored in the opening two innings before Muhlenberg broke up the scoreless game and exploded for all 15 runs through the third through fifth frames. 
• After Paladino belted a double into center to start off the second, Beattie and Cuccio each drew walks to load up the bases, but D'Ambrosia fanned the final two batters of the inning to erase Emerson's best chance at scoring.
• Knox surrendered six runs on six hits to the eight batters he faced before he was relieved by freshman Michael Logerwell, who gave up the final two runs of the inning on a triple and single to Sam Arnold and Seth Wasserman with the Lions down 8-0. 
• Three hits, a hit batter and a sacrifice fly put Emerson in a 14-0 hole in the top of the fourth before the Mules crossed its final run in the fifth on an RBI single into left by Gabe Robles.