HOBOKEN, N.J. (February 21, 2018)  – Junior
Matthew Pasko's RBI single forced extra innings, but a wild sequence allowed visiting Drew University to escape with an 11-6, 10-inning victory over the Stevens Institute of Technology Baseball team Wednesday in a nearly four-hour marathon at Dobbelaar Field.
Trailing 6-5, junior
Donny Gherardi began the game-tying rally with a leadoff walk. Freshman
Charles Kwong attempted to sacrifice Gherardi into scoring position, however, Drew third baseman Eric DiPietro fielded the bunt and attempted a risky play at second, but his throw was just in time to force the Oradell, New Jersey native at second. After a passed ball moved Kwong into scoring position, Pasko drove Davis Fouts' fourth pitch up the middle to score the freshman outfielder. Pasko finished the day with three hits and two RBIs to lead five Stevens batters with multiple hits. Gherardi reached base in all four of his plate appearances.
"Our team showed a lot of grit to battle back from a ninth-inning deficit," said head coach
Kristaps Aldins. "The offense is really showing some early-season prowess, which is a great sign for the season ahead. Although we did enter the ninth inning with the lead, the momentum of the game shifted in the fifth and sixth innings and we never quite got it back. It was good to get
Danny Poidomani back on the hill and
Joseph Deitz once again showed flashes of being a key bullpen arm for us."
With the Stevens shortstop advancing to second on Max Felsenstein's throw home, Joe Dahut (1-0) came on in relief and promptly struck out senior
Tommy Baronner and freshman
Ambrose Consol to end the threat.
After coming on in the ninth and successfully stranding a pair of runners,
Chandler Brierley (0-1) began the 10th by walking DiPietro. Isaiah Mateo attempted to sacrifice the runner to second and laid down on a bunt, however, the sophomore hurler threw wildy to first allowing Mateo to reach. Backing up the play, second baseman
Patrick Rood attempted to throw out DiPetro at third, but also uncorked an errant throw, allowing the runner to score and Mateo to reach third. Ryan Sabbag followed with a bloop single over the head of first baseman
Alex Detweiler to score the second run of the inning. Felsenstein executed a perfectly-placed bunt to extend the inning, forcing a pitching change. A four-pitch walk followed to load the bases and Brandon Raad cleared them with a first-pitch double down the right-field line. Mateo, Sabbag and Felsenstein reached on three consecutive pitches.
Dahut worked around a
John Hamill single in the bottom half of the tenth to earn his first win of the year.
Drew's late-inning offensive fireworks spoiled a strong 2018 debut by junior
Danny Poidomani. The Rochelle Park, New Jersey native picked up where he left off in 2017, allowing two runs on four hits in 5 2-3 innings of work. The big blow coming in the sixth on Matthew Lange's long two-run home run. After leading the Empire 8 Conference in strikeouts as a sophomore, Poidomani fanned six in first start of the year.
Freshman catcher
Nathan Zuckerman went 2-for-5 with a run scored for the second straight game.
Up Next: Stevens welcomes William Paterson University to Dobbelaar Field for a non-conference game on Saturday, Feb. 24. The teams played to 5-5 tie last season in Wayne. The game was halted by darkness following the completion of the seventh inning. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
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