New players can make big contributions.
 
The John Carroll University baseball team had numerous contributions from veterans and newcomers alike in its sweep Bluffton on Monday afternoon in Port Charlotte, Fla. John Carroll would win by scores of 11-9 and 7-3.
 
Game One
John Carroll 11, Bluffton 9
Seven Inning Game
 
Executing on errors can extend innings. For John Carroll, it capped a rally.
 
John Carroll took advantage of three throw errors from Bluffton pitchers on bunts to slowly but surely come back to take the 11-9 win.
 
Bluffton jumped on John Carroll starter Mark Materise for five runs in the first. Aaron Young did the post damage launching a three-run home to left.
 
"He might have been a little surprised there," said Thibeault. "Credit to Bluffton, they swung the bat well in the beginning part of the game and had some good swings. We might have thrown some pitches inside of the strike zone that were hittable. Then, he threw up three scoreless innings in a row and gave us a chance to let us play. It was a great demonstration of the maturity of the baseball team, not to be defeated after being down five runs in the first inning. They really grinded through and put up 11. That was good to see."
 
John Carroll immediately went to work chipping away at Bluffton's lead but it was a six-run fifth inning that would ultimately prove to be key.
 
Jacob Shriner started the big inning with a single. Attempting to sacrifice, both Mike Raschilla and Rob Cifelli both reached base on throwing errors. JCU's heart of the lineup provided the rest with Bobby Sabatino, David Crowley and Tyler Gentile combining for three straight hits to plate four runs. David Lykens added a hit to plate the fifth run of the frame. Bluffton continued to struggle with the bunt as Mark Pisanello, attempting to squeeze was able to let out a base hit to bring in the sixth run of the frame, putting JCU up 11-6.
 
Said Thibeault, "There was a situation when we were bunting. We were in some bunting spots and our guys did a very good job of bunting strikes. You can't plan for mistakes, but I think our guys did a very good job of capitalizing on the mistakes. We did what we were supposed to do from the execution standpoint which was very good to see at the early part of the season. Then, we were able to pick up a little bit off of some of their mistakes."
 
The Blue Streaks made the game 3-2 in the first inning of Mark Huddle's two-out triple to right-center.
 
John Carroll countered Bluffton's second inning run with a run of its own in the bottom of the frame. Sabatino plated Schriner with a two-out single to left.
 
JCU scored twice in the fourth on Crowley's sacrifice fly and Sabatino coming in on a wide pitch.
 
Materise picked up the winning firing 5 1/3 innings. The sophomore only allowed six hits and three runs after the first inning. Jake Servidio picked up the save in his collegiate debut firing 1 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball. Sabatino and Gentile combined for six of JCU's 14 hits.
 
Game Two
John Carroll 7, Bluffton 3
Nine Inning Game
 
Dominating starting pitching has ensued for the Blue Streaks in the second games of doubleheaders this year.
 
Senior Drew Doring fired seven innings while striking out 11 and JCU's hitters provided plenty of offense in the 7-3 win.
 
The right-hander cruised through the first two innings striking out five of the first six batter faced. He would strike out the side in the first and fourth innings.
 
"He was in control," said Thibeault. "I think he located his first two pitches really, really well. If he was 1-1 or 0-2, he threw those first two very, very competitively, which dictated the at bat. He controlled the at bat today. They were on the defensive with him. Andrew had good velocity and he had all of his pitches working. He didn't just get his strikeouts on his fastball. He got them by mixing his speed and velocity well."
 
The Blue Streaks struck for four runs in the third inning. Cifelli plated the game's first run with a single to center. Sabatino would follow suit with his own single prior to a two-run double off the bat of Crowley.
 
Making his second collegiate start, freshman Monroe Donnelly did not disappoint crushing a pair of doubles in the game. The catcher would score on his second two-bagger of the game coming in on a Bluffton pickoff attempt error.
 
JCU would pick up its final two runs in the eighth. Lykens extended the lead drilling a triple to the fence in right. He would later score on a single off the bat of Raschilla who finished with three hits in the tilt.
 
"It was a good job," said Thibeault when commenting on his freshmen's five hits. "They saw the ball well. They put out a couple of good swings and executed. It's nice always to get production from the bottom of the lineup to turn it over. They had really good at bats and gave us some opportunities to go win."
 
Reid Maus recorded Bluffton's first hit of the contest, a one-out triple to right-center in the fifth inning.
 
Mathis Newman was equally as sharp in his collegiate debut. The freshman fired two innings of relief and struck out three.
 
"We like our arms," said Thibeault. "It is probably going to be the inning part of the year, a little bit of that transition in getting used to being outside and playing. (It's a transition) throwing against other teams and in different situations than we can generate in the gym. The freshmen today showed some great poise and did a good job of throwing strike one. We were able to finish out those games in very strong fashion."
 
Prior to today's games both teams honored the 2007 Bluffton team with a moment of silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the team's bus accident.

"It's a very difficult situation with everything that they have gone through," said Thibeault. Big hearts for those guys. They are a good, solid group of young men that represent Bluffton really well."
 
John Carroll takes on Northland in a single game on Tuesday, March 3 in Ft. Myers, Fla.