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Connor Mayle

Bats Come Through Again As Baseball Ends Florida Trip With Another Sweep

| By: Jake Vulinec, Staff Writer
Connor Mayle rounds the bases after his home run in game two.
Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 AUBURNDALE, Fla. -- The John Carroll baseball team made their Florida trip a memorable one, as they finished off the week by sweeping Penn State Altoona 6-5 and 13-3, respectfully. JCU ended their leg of the RussMatt Invitational by going 7-2, their best record during a trip to the Sunshine State since 2009 when they went 8-1.

is able to sweep the double header with Penn State Altoona, 6-5 and 13-3, as dramatics flare on their final day at the RussMatt Invitational at Lake Myrtle Sports Park's Field #7. 

Game 1

The Blue Streaks got things rolling in the first as Jack Harmon drove in the first run with an RBI double to left center with two outs. Two more walks would load the bases for Sean Connolly, who ripped another double to drive across two more runs and push the early lead to 3-0. 

In the very next half inning, the Nittany Lions had a response. JCU starter Jamon Higley threw a wild pitch to allow the first run across. It didn't get any easier for Higley as a pair of singles from Corey Chamberlain and Jake Hillard would knot the game at three apiece.

The middle innings were dominated by pitching on both sides. Higley's morning ended after that third inning, without an opportunity to earn the win. He finished with three runs allowed (two earned) on four hits and struck out three. Garrett Siegel was the name JCU turned to in relief and he started his outing with three shutout innings. 

In the sixth, Harmon came up big again as he laced a single and broke the tie with the bases loaded to make it 4-3.

After Siegel exited by giving up a leadoff walk in the seventh, the offense came alive for the Nittany Lions. A few batters later, a Sylvan Wiley pitch slipped past Logan LaMere and the game was tied without another swing of the bat. The Lions had one last hoorah against Wiley when Jake Hillard pushed across the go-ahead run with a single on the right side to make it 5-4. Samuel Basso was able to retire the side with a strikeout after taking the mound for the final out.

Connolly started the bottom frame off with a single, then a hit by pitch and walk loaded the bases. Justin Hanley, 0-1 and two walks, stepped to the plate. Discipline proved to be the victor in the at-bat, as he managed to tie the game without putting a ball in play by drawing a third walk. 

Bases were still and the winning run stood at third with zero outs. Meengs pitched a crucial at-bat and retired Erik Daugenti with a strikeout. With Connor Mayle at the plate, he bounced a ball to the shortstop. A flip to second recorded the second out, but the relay couldn't record the third. Jared Orwell crossed the plate, and the Blue Streaks walked it off in dramatic fashion, 6-5. 

Basso earned the victory for JCU despite facing just one batter.

Game 2

Pitching struggles continued to start the game for Penn State Altoona. The top of the first inning saw four walks of John Carroll hitters to bring in a run and make the game 1-0, John Carroll.

It seemed as though dramatics were going to continue early in the game. In the bottom of the opening frame, Grayson McClain started things with a double off of Alex Wu. A pair of groundouts allowed for McClain to come across home and lock the game at one each.

The Blue Streaks offense then exploded in the next two innings. Sean Connolly kept the momentum going from game one by ripping an RBI single back straight at second base, putting John Carroll on top 2-1. Jared Orwell hit another single up the gut to extend the lead out to 3-1.

In the third, two walks were followed up with two more singles by Logan LaMere and Michael Perischetti to drive in two more runs. Then, with LaMere on third, an error by the first baseman allowed another run to be plated to make it 6-1.

The Nittany Lions would plate two runs on a passed ball and a groundout into a double play in the fourth inning to cut the JCU lead to 6-3.

John Carroll added a run in each of the fifth and sixth innings to make it 8-3 on pass balls that scored Jordan Suvak, who came in as a pinch runner for Matt Monesi after a walk, and Mayle.

The Blue Streaks had no interest in entertaining a comeback as they exploded for five runs in the top of the seventh inning. A Bryce Holt two RBI single, Hanley sacrifice fly, and Mayle two-runner homer, all extended the lead 13-3. 

Henry Darrow and Roger Simon shut things down in relief for the Blue Streaks. Darrow pitched two hitless innings before turning the ball over to Simon. The freshman gave a stellar performance, allowing only two hits in two innings and striking out four, including three in the seventh. 

John Carroll will make their way slightly north to Fredericksburg, Virginia as they'll take on University of Mary Washington in three games over the course of two days. The first game will take place on Saturday, March 18th. 
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