By Kalli Colacino
Managing Editor
The College’s baseball team secured its second win of the season against Albright College on Tuesday with a final score of 11-2. It was the College’s Lions against the Albright’s Lions in this non-conference matchup.
Sophomore Jordan Gray took the mound for the College, striking out one and allowing a walk, a single and a sacrifice fly in the top of the first as Albright took an early lead with the sac fly to left field, 1-0.
The Lions could not immediately answer their competitor’s early lead, as Albright’s starting pitcher, Connor Trower, only allowed a pair of walks.
After a bit of a jam in the first inning, Gray settled down and struck out two batters in the second. Trower allowed three more walks in the bottom of the second, but the College was unable to score, stranding a man on second and third.
The Lions were able to put some runs on the board in the third after a walk, hit-by-pitch and a two-run double by senior Chris Cote. Albright responded by taking out their starting pitcher and replacing him with Cameron Rodgers.
That proved unsuccessful in stopping the College. Senior Chris Reeder doubled, sending Cote home to score, 3-1. Senior Joe Oczkowski then sent Reeder home with a one-out single, pushing the score to 4-1.
Albright responded to the College’s four-run third with a leadoff home run by Chris Thomas, cutting the scoring deficit to 4-2.
In the fifth, the College doubled their score.
Sophomore Ryan Goodall reached on an error while Reeder reached on a single, paving the way for a two-out RBI single by sophomore Michael Schumacher. Consecutive singles by freshman Zach Hochheiser and senior Joey Cruciata loaded the bases for freshman Mike Lagravenis, who picked up a two-RBI single, making the score 8-2.
The Lions continued to dominate, adding yet another run to the board. The bases were loaded for Oczkowski in the sixth, who scored Goodall with a sac fly, making the score 9-2.
In the top of the seventh, senior Joseph Felipe came out in relief of Gray — who had a successful outing — allowing only three hits and two earned runs. In the bottom of the inning, junior Sebastian JnoBaptist came in and got a clutch pinch-hit double, setting the stage for Goodall, who hit a two-run single, extending the College’s lead to 11-2.
The rest of the game was scoreless as freshman Jackson Malouf came out in the ninth to make his collegiate debut and close things out for the College.
The Lions improved their overall record to 2-0 with this win and are off to Florida for the Russmatt Invitational. They’ll be back home at George Ackerman Park on March 23 for a matchup against Widener University.
