HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. –
Nicholas Gattuso hit an inside the park home run and
Chris Hess got the final four outs of the game to help the Centenary University baseball battle back for a 10-9 win over Gwynedd Mercy University on Friday afternoon in Atlantic East play.
Gwynedd Mercy struck first in this one with a run in the top of the second.
Centenary quickly answered with a pair in the bottom half of that frame.
Nicholas Grifone lifted a sac fly to center that scored
Brandon Smith.
Nick Payne scored the second run of the inning on a wild pitch.
The Griffins responded with a four spot in the top of the third inning and took a 5-2 lead.
Nate Campbell hit a two-run home run in the frame.
Gwynedd Mercy added another run in the top of the sixth and extended its lead to 6-2.
The Cyclones staged a comeback in the bottom half of that frame. Centenary sent 12 men to the plate and scored seven runs on four hits.
After
Christopher Gass reached on a single leading off,
Jon Fleck crushed his team-leading third home run of the season over the right field fence. A Grifone RBI double made it a one run game, 6-5.
Gattuso was hit by a pitch to force in the game-tying run.
Paul Links delivered a two-run single for the lead before Fleck had an RBI groundout. That gave Centenary a 9-6 lead after six full innings of action.
Gwynedd Mercy scored two in the eighth and pulled to within one, 9-8.
Gattuso delivered an important run in the bottom of the eighth. His one-out fly ball to right center made it to the fence and with Gattuso running hard all the way, it was an inside the park home run. Centenary took a 10-8 lead to the ninth inning.
Gwynedd Mercy was able to get a run in the top of the ninth and loaded the bases with two outs, but Hess got a fly ball to left for the final out and secured the win.
Anthony Ranaudo got the win in relief for the Cyclones as he went 1.2 innings and did not allow a hit. Hess picked up his third save of the season as he went the final 1.1 innings and gave up one unearned run.
Giovanni D'Amore took the loss as he gave up a run on a hit and did not get an out.
Fleck had a hit, three RBIs and a run scored for the Cyclones while Grifone and Links each had a hit and two RBIs. Smith and Payne each had a hit and two runs scored while Gattuso had a hit, an RBI and two runs scored.
Centenary and Gwynedd Mercy will resume their series with a doubleheader on Monday, April 11 starting at 12 p.m. at Gwynedd Mercy.
