After the Saints dropped game one,
Christian Mingione pitched five innings of no-hit baseball striking out five along the way to help lead the St. Lawrence University to a 6-1 game two win and a split against St. Olaf in their final game of Spring Break in Davenport, Florida.
St. Lawrence saw their record improve to 5-4 with the win, while St. Olaf dropped to 3-2.
John Donnellan earned the lone RBI in game one for the Scarlet and Brown.
Caleb Clark was red-hot in game two going 3-for-4 with a double, triple, two, RBI and two runs scored along with a stolen base.
Jimmy Liberatore also brought in two runs for the Saints in the game.
"The team bounced back nicely in game two." said head coach
Kenny Collins "We mixed up the lineup and the new guys responded well to their opportunity. We also got great pitching performances throughout the game from Mingione, Brenner and O'Neil. We are heading back north feeling confident that we can make the adjustments needed to compete in Liberty League play."Â
Game 1: St. Lawrence 1, St. Olaf 7
St. Olaf wasted little time jumping on the Saints as they hung three runs on the board in the top of the first. A leadoff single came around to score on a one-out double that turned into a runner at the corners spot. The Oles would smack back-to-back singles to bring in their third run. First-year
Philip Centineo would hit the next batter but dialed in to strikeout the next and force a flyout to minimize the damage.
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Fifth-year
Michael Goretti opened the bottom half of the inning with a single and was pushed to third with a stolen base and advancing on a ground out. The Saints were unable to bring the veteran home to cut into the lead.
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The bottom of the second started with a scorched double from
Timothy Connor, who continued his hot play. A Desjardins walk and a wild pitch would bring runners to first and second where Donnellan would earn an RBI on his groundout to shortstop.
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The score remained 3-1 until the fifth where St. Olaf brought another run home on a bases loaded groundout. Then in the sixth, an RBI double would balloon the lead to 5-1. The Oles closed the game with two more in the top of the seventh scoring on a balk and an RBI single to bring the score to 7-1.
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Centineo went four innings on the hill for the Saints giving up four runs on eight hits and a strikeout.
Danny Collins would come in to relieve Centineo, followed by
James Morr, who went three innings giving up three hits and striking out one.
Game 2: St. Lawrence 6, St. Olaf 1
Game two settled in as a pitchers' duel between St. Lawrence's Mingione and St. Olaf's Oberlander.
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The Oles were the first to blink as the Scarlet and Brown put two runs on the board in the fourth. Goretti opened the inning with a walk before stealing second and advancing to third on a throwing error. Clark tripled the infielder home before being sent home himself by Liberatoe, who hit a long sacrifice fly to right field.
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St. Lawrence would double the lead in the top of the sixth and yet again were jumpstarted by Goretti, who got on base with a walk. This time Clark would double Goretti home to put a third run on the board. Liberatore singled up the middle to take the 4-0 lead.
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Mingione had yet to give up a hit going into the bottom of the sixth where he would lose his no-hit bid on a leadoff triple to left field. The Oles scored the leadoff batter on a groundout and the Saints brought in
Jared Brenner to the bump, who got them out of the inning.
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In the top of the seventh, the Scarlet and Brown scored two more insurance runs after loading the bases.
Stephen Colangelo laid down a perfect bunt into no-man's land to load the bases. First-year
Tynan Creagh would follow suit with a mirror-image bunt to score a runner and leave the paths full. Goretti would ground into a double play in the next at-bat but brought a run home to make it 6-1.
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Mingione finished with the win pitching 5.1 innings giving up one hit and striking out five. Brenner finished with .2 innings giving up no runs.
Brenden O'Neil slammed the door on the Oles giving up just one hit in his inning of work. Â