May 2, 2004

Box Score

BRIDGEPORT, CT - Senior Jamie Schilkowski (Shelton, CT) had four hits, while senior hurler Adam Dinihanian worked into the eighth inning to help the Sacred Heart University baseball team defeat Quinnipiac University 6-4 on Sunday. The win marked the first time in the five years of Division I play that the Pioneers had swept a three-game weekend series in the Northeast Conference.

Sacred Heart, 10-32 overall and 8-10 in the NEC, got two runs off Quinnpiac starter Buddy Bengel in the first inning. Jason Maiella walked to start the game. He stole second and third and scored on a single to right by Schilkowski. Schilkowski was erased on an infield ground out, but an infield hit by Jay Monti and an RBI single by freshman Tony Diaz gave the Pioneers a 2-0 lead.

Quinnipiac, 22-18 and 16-7 in the conference, got a run back in the top of the third. Freshman Randy Gress (Shelton, CT) led off the inning with a single, went to third on a single by Paul Santucci, and scored on a sacrifice fly by senior catcher Steve Silverstein.

The Pioneers took a 3-1 lead in the fifth inning on an RBI single from junior Curtis Lewsey that scored Greg Delmonico, who had singled with one out. Bengel was lifted with two outs in the inning in favor of junior Ari Kafka, who got out of the inning when the Pioneers tried a double steal with runners on the corners and Schilkowski was cut down at the plate.

The Bobcats got a gift run in the top of the sixth, using a hit batsman and three Sacred Heart errors to get back within a run. Sacred Heart used a couple of Quinnipiac errors and an RBI single by senior Ed Marotta to go back on top 4-2 after six innings.

SHU took a commanding 6-2 lead off Bobcat reliever Dave Bennett in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a two-run double by Lewsey down the left field line.

Dinihanian, who raised his record to 5-1, gave up back-to-back home runs on consecutive pitches to QU's Albert Marano and Bryan Sabatella to start the eighth inning, putting the Bobcat's back within 6-4 and ending Dinihanian's afternoon. For Marano it was his seventh homer of the season, while Sabatella notched his fourth.

Sophomore Chris Aldrich came out of the bullpen for the Pioneers and gave up a single to Brien Magee (Stamford, CT). He got the next batter to line out deep to center and then gave way to Monti on the mound. Monti retired the next two hitters to help the Pioneers escape the inning with a two-run lead.

Monti gave up a walk with one out in the ninth, but struck out a pair of batters and got Marano to pop out to second and end the game.