Box Score
The John Carroll baseball team concluded its week in Florida with its fifth consecutive victory, a 7-1 triumph over Muskingum.

John Carroll won its final five games in the Sunshine State by outscoring its final five opponents by a whopping 54-14 margin, including a 53-6 edge over the final 37 innings.

Today's game was closer than the score would indicate, but featured yet another strong pitching performance.

Freshman Aaron LaPlagia had the live arm for the Blue Streaks in Port Charlotte Saturday morning and afternoon. In his first collegiate start, he allowed just one run on four hits.

In fact, he pitched a scoreless five innings while allowing his offense to finally break through against Muskie freshman Austin Miller.

The two rookies dueled toe-to-toe without allowing many baserunners let alone runs. But it was John Carroll that broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth. Mark Huddle led off the frame with a single, and after Stephen Alexander was hit by a pitch, Bobby Cifelli sacrificed the runners over with a well executed bunt, Connor Marrero then walked to load the bases.

Senior Joe Veltri, celebrating his 22nd birthday, delivered a sacrafice fly to score Huddle from third with the first run.

JCU then punched another run across with a two-out single off the bat of Bobby Sabatino.

In the sixth inning, the Blue Streaks pushed the lead to 3-0 thanks to an RBi hit by Cifelli.

Muskingum chased LaPaglia in the sixth with a walk and a single to start the inning. After Tyler Ferretti came in relief and allowed a hit and run, he got the next three outs to snuff out the threat.

The score remained 3-1 until the top of the ninth. With two outs, six consecutive Blue Streaks reached base -- four hits, a walk and an error -- and four runs came across the plate. The last blow was a single by Huddle that pushed across two tallies.

LaPaglia earned the win to improve to 2-0, while Ferretti, Zach Verner and Kevin Rosinski worked a combined four scoreless innings to secure the victory.

In the eight games John Carroll played in Florida, the team batted .384 and outscored (78-38) and outhit (122-66) their opponents by wide margins in posting a 6-2 record.