Immaculata, PA – The Centenary baseball team delivered one of its most dramatic wins of the season on Friday, rallying for five runs in the ninth inning before securing an 11–9 extra-inning victory over Immaculata on the road.
Trailing 8–4 entering the ninth, the Cyclones refused to go quietly. After loading the bases with two outs, Centenary was down to its final strike when Myles Castillo stepped in. Just one pitch earlier, Castillo appeared to deliver a grand slam down the line—only for it to be ruled foul, keeping the at-bat alive. On the very next pitch, Castillo left no doubt—or at least less of it—crushing a game-leading grand slam to right field to cap a five-run inning and take a 9–8 lead.
The home run, however, sparked immediate debate, as players and spectators questioned whether the ball cleared the fence. With no replay at the venue, and the umps getting together, the call stood, and the Cyclones seized the momentum.
Immaculata answered with a run in the bottom of the ninth to tie it, 9–9, but Centenary continued to battle into extras. In the 11th inning, the Cyclones once again came through in the clutch. Nick Santacross ripped a two-run single to right field, scoring RJ Fiore and Mike DeSena to give Centenary a 11–9 advantage.
Anthony Fraser earned the win with two strong innings in relief, and Adam Yarrison closed the door in the 11th to secure the victory.
Castillo finished with a huge day at the plate, going 3-for-6 with four RBIs, highlighted by the clutch grand slam. Santacross added two hits and two RBIs, while Derek DePace and Chris Clark each contributed multi-hit efforts in the 13-hit performance.
In a game filled with momentum swings, the Cyclones' resilience and timely hitting—especially Castillo's last-strike heroics—powered a comeback victory that will be remembered as one of the team's most thrilling wins of the season. Games 2 and 3 of the series will take place tomorrow, in Hackettstown. First pitch slated for 12pm.
