By Jhett Laurie
Staff Writer
The College’s baseball team has been off to a slow start, winning two out of the first five games. The Lions faced off against the likes of Rochester Institute of Technology, Wilkes and No. 4 Salisbury.
The Lions started the season off with a win against RIT, giving new head coach Chris Collazo his first career win. After giving up two runs in the top of the first inning, the Lions bounced back strong in the bottom of the first and second innings.
Led by a slew of walks and hits from junior Braden Dromboski and senior Tyler Provost, the Lions put up eight unanswered runs to give the Lions a comfortable six-run lead. The team held onto this lead, racking up five more runs across the next five runs.
Sophomore Owen Hoffman held it down on the mound for the team. Hoffman came in to relieve sophomore Ryan Greenstein in the top of the fourth and held the Tigers to just one run through five innings. Senior Brian Lovaglio had a standout game, going 3-4 with two RBIs and a double.
The Lions took on RIT again the next day in a double header at Farleigh Dickenson University. The Tigers did not come to play, sweeping the Lions in the subsequent games.
RIT got up early, taking advantage of a Lions error in the field which brought home a run and set up a sac fly for the next batter. The College saw the chance to flip the table in the fourth inning, as freshman Joe Tammaro was at the plate with the bases loaded. Tammaro grounded into a double play, bringing home a run but bringing an end to the Lions opportunity.
The Lions tied the game in the next inning, as senior Jack O’Donnell was able to swipe home on a double steal. Senior John DiCostanzo worked hard on the mound from the fourth inning, striking out six batters and not letting up an earned run. RIT was able to jump on top in the eighth inning, as a single forced in a run. RIT was able to hold onto their lead for the final inning, winning the game 3-2.
The second game was much the same, as RIT got up 3-0 early in the first inning. Sophomore Michael Contiliano and Lovaglio doubled and hit a home run, respectively, to give the Lions two runs. RIT piled it on in the final two innings, scoring four additional runs to squall any hope of comeback.
The Lions secured their second win of the season on Feb. 26 at Wilkes. The Lions pitching staff played exceptionally well, with Hoffman and Greenstein combining for eight innings of one run ball. Lovaglio continued his strong start to the season with another double and homerun to help give the Lions a 6-1 victory. The Lions were extremely efficient, bringing in those six runs on just seven hits.
The team traveled down to Maryland to take on No. 4 ranked Salisbury. The Lions came out strong, scoring two runs in the top of the second on a pair of singles from junior Jake Carter and Contiliano. Salisbury showed why they’re the No. 4 ranked team, and fought back hard, answering with five unanswered runs across the next three innings. The Lion’s bats fell silent, racking up 10 strikeouts and only one hit after their initial surge.
The Lions look to turn around the momentum March 5 as they take on Ursinus at Diamond Nation.
