WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - The Dickinson baseball team returned to action on Thursday for a doubleheader against the University of Rochester at Chain of Lakes Park. The Red and White put forth a strong effort in game one, but came up short in a 9-6 final. However, senior
Charlie Bien hurled a complete game victory (8-3) to help the Devils salvage a split with the Yellow Jackets.
Game One
Final Score – Yellow Jackets 9, DEVILS 6 (F/7)
Team Records – DEVILS (7-5) | Rochester (7-1)
Pitching Decision – W – Sunil Lindsay (2-0) | L –
Sam Bliss (0-1) | Jake Del Vecchio (2)
Inside the Game
- Both starting pitchers would allow some runners in the first two innings, but they settled down and prevented any damage.
- The game stayed scoreless into the top of the third as a single by Shawn Arneja and walks to Will Ferris and Kevin Schmidt loaded the bags with one gone for Johnny Bruno. He deposited the Sunil Lindsay offering into right-center scoring all three. Unfortunately, strikeouts of Luke Gartland and Ethan Sodl closed out the rally. Bliss ran into some trouble during the bottom-half when with one out a double, walk and infield single filled the bases. That allowed Sammy Besztery to drive in two on a single to right, before Jake Bentivenga produced an RBI groundout and Teddy Monahan drove home one more with a two-bagger making it 4-3 Jackets heading to the fourth.
- Dickinson used a double for Matt Conforti and walk to Josh Markley to put the tying run in scoring position, but a strikeout of Ferris ended the inning. Then in the bottom-half a leadoff double and infield knock gave way to a Carlos Barajas sacrifice fly pushing the edge to 5-3.
- A quiet top of fifth for the Red and White set the stage for Rochester to add on four more. First, with two away two singles and a free pass provided the opportunity for Logan Mathias to notch a two-run single. That ended the day for Bliss as Dylan Robinson took over on the bump and hit the first batter, before Barajas plated two on a knock to center making it 9-3 to the sixth.
- Dickinson pulled one back two batters into their chance as Freeman Hunt reached on an error, which allowed Kyle Bailey to score him on a triple to deep left-center. The next man up was Arneja who came up with an RBI groundout to third. Then, with the Devils facing "last call" in the seventh a single, walk and hit batter brought John Kumpa to the dish with a chance to tie things up. Unfortunately, he bounced into a fielder's choice to score one setting the 9-6 final.
Dickinson Hitting Leaders
- Hits – Seven players tied (1)
- RBIs – Bruno (3), Arneja, Bailey and Kumpa (1)
- Runs Scored – Schmidt (2)
- Doubles – Bruno and Conforti (1)
- Triples – Bailey and Gartland (1)
Devils Mound Report
- Bliss (L) – 4.2 ip, 9 runs (earned), 11 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts
- Robinson – 1.1 ip, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts
Game Two
Final Score – DEVILS 8, Yellow Jackets 3 (F/7)
Team Records – DEVILS (8-5) | Rochester (7-2)
Pitching Decision – W –
Charlie Bien (2-1) | L – Brendan Ryan (0-1)
Inside the Game
- After a "six-up, six-down" first inning between starters Charlie Bien and Brendan Ryan, Rochester went to work in the top of the second and using a single, hit batter and sacrifice bunt had two men in scoring position with one down. That was when Randy Davis made it 1-0 on an RBI groundout to short. Dickinson would waste little time tying the game as Bruno blasted a pitch over the left-field wall to start the home-half. Singles for Bailey and Gartland allowed Hunt to send one back up the box to drive in both giving DC a 3-1 lead through two.
- Rochester took advantage of two singles and a DC miscue to load the bases with two down for Bentivenga. He would reach on the second Devils error of the frame to score both men tying the game. However, Bien got Teddy Monahan to groundout for the final out.
- Things stayed locked at 3-3 until the last of the fourth when the Dickinson bats got back to work. A one walk by Sodl came home on a double for Hunt to push the Red and White in front. An error by the third baseman let Ferris reach and moved Hunt to third, before Markley produced a sacrifice fly making it 5-3 heading to the fifth.
- The Jackets tried to get something going during the sixth as a pair of singles with one out gave them the chance to tie or take the lead with one swing. Fortunately, though for the Devils Bien forced Grady Davis to hit into an inning-ending double play. That allowed Dickinson to extend their lead in the home portion with an error coupled with base hits for Ferris and Arneja jammed the bags for Schmidt. His single through the right-side scored one. With the bases still loaded a walk to Bailey and Gartland plunked by a pitch plated two more for the 8-3 lead going to the seventh.
- Bien finished off the complete game by setting aside three of four hitters to finish off the 8-3 win.
Dickinson Hitting Leaders
- Hits – Hunt (2), Six players tied (1)
- RBIs – Hunt (3), Five players tied (1)
- Runs Scored – Eight players tied (1)
- Double – Hunt (1)
- Home Run – Bruno (1)
Devils Mound Report
- Bien (W) – 7.0 ip, 3 runs (1 earned), 7 hits, 0 walks, 4 strikeouts
The On-Deck Circle
- Dickinson (8-5) will close out their Florida swing on Friday morning with a non-conference doubleheader against Gwynedd Mercy University at Chain of Lakes Park. First pitch of game one is slated for 9am.
