By Jhett Laurie
Staff Writer
The College split a doubleheader against Dickinson and lost their home opener against Haverford in their first three games of the season.
The Lions started their season on March 1, traveling to Dickinson College to face off in a doubleheader. In the first game, they got off to a hot start with fifth-year graduate transfer Gianni Marano tallying an RBI double in his first Lions at-bat during the first inning. Dickinson quickly rallied back and took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first on a misplaced throw to first, which allowed two runs to score.
The College struggled at the plate, having five strikeouts through the first three innings. Errors in the field only sought to worsen the Lions’ position as an array of errors and passed balls allowed Dickinson to take a 5-1 lead in the sixth inning.
The first game was called in the seventh inning when Dickinson took an 11-1 lead, enacting a mercy rule. Fifth-year pitcher Ben Amon gathered a loss, allowing four walks and three hits. Amon gave up four runs, however none were earned.
Going into the second game of the day, the Lions hoped for a shift in momentum, which they got. Senior second baseman Mike LaGravenis started the scoring in the second inning, tallying a two-RBI single. LaGravenis looks to have yet another hot start to this season as he held a 14-game hitting streak to start the 2024 season.
The College added additional runs in the third and seventh innings to make the score 4-0. Sophomore Braden Drombroski had two hits in his season debut at shortstop.
Senior pitcher Jackson Malouf had an outstanding start on the mound, allowing only four baserunners through seven innings, gathering five strikeouts along the way. Senior Dan Merkel took over for Malouf in the eighth inning, escaping the inning unscathed. Fifth-year Joe Ferrari would close the game in the ninth inning, forcing Dickinson into a double play to seal the win.
The Lions took on Haverford College for their home opener on March 4, falling 4-2. Lions pitchers had a strong outing with fifth-year starter Jordan Gray gathering seven strikeouts, allowing only one run through the first five innings. Gray, along with three others, combined for 13 strikeouts.
Defensive woes wrecked the Lions’ hopes of coming back from a 1-0 deficit with three errors in the sixth inning. A dropped fly ball and misplayed ground ball led to additional runners that would eventually cross the plate.
The Lions scraped together two more runs in the eighth inning. However, they were not enough to overcome a strong four-run lead from Haverford. Drombroski tallied two more hits, along with Marano.
The College’s game on March 5 against Drew was postponed, but they look to return to action on March 6 when Ursinus travels to Ewing.
