PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (March 12, 2024) – First-year Garret Wolf recorded his second-career home run, while graduate student Michael Reyes added two RBI, but the Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team fell just short against North Central 10-9 Tuesday afternoon at Florida Coast Spring Training.

Sophomore Zach DeGeorge (0-1) took the loss out of the pen for the Ducks. He pitched just 0.2 innings of relief and allowed two runs on one hit. Graduate student Mark DeCicco started for Stevens, but he lasted just 0.1 innings as he gave up three runs and walked three batters. Junior Will Staviski had the best numbers on the mound for Stevens, as he only allowed two hits and struck out two batters in 1.2 innings of work.

The Ducks (6-5) have now lost five in a row after starting the year six games unblemished. Stevens also fell to 0-5 in Florida this year, with each game being played at a neutral site.

With the loss, Stevens falls to 0-1 all-time against the Cardinals. North Central improves to 4-6 with the win.

The Rundown

• The Cardinals scored three runs in the bottom of the first.
• Stevens responded with two runs in the top of the second to get back to within one. Junior Zachary Boykin was hit by a pitch with one out in the inning, and then Wolf homered in the next at-bat to put the Ducks on the board.
• First-year Chip Krese kicked off the third with a single and later stole second. Senior Christian Kreiser then grounded out but advanced Krese to third. Krese would score thanks to a triple from Reyes, which tied the game at three.
• The Cardinals added three more runs in the bottom of the third.
• Stevens jumped out into the lead in the fourth inning as they scored four times. To start things off, Boykin singled and then advanced to second on a balk. Senior Jack Stafford would score Boykin with a single to center after Boykin reached third on the previous at-bat. Later on in the inning, Stafford himself would cross home plate as junior Eli Somers reached on a fielder's choice. Graduate student Ben Tobio, who had reached on a bunt single earlier in the inning, scored in the next at-bat off a wild pitch. Somers would move to second, and then again to third on another wild pitch. Reyes recorded another RBI when he hit a single to bring Somers home, putting the Ducks in front 7-6.
• North Central retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth as they scored twice.
• The Cardinals added another in the bottom of the sixth to go ahead 9-7.
• With one out in the seventh, Reyes reached first on an error and then advanced to second. He then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Senior Frank Tonina would hit a sacrifice fly in the next at-bat as the Ducks got back to within one.
• The Cardinals got the one run back in the bottom of the seventh, now leading 10-8.
• Stevens had a chance to win the game in the ninth. After two strikeouts to open the top of the ninth, Tonina reached first on an error. Senior Jack Irby would then pinch hit for Boykin, and he delivered a single which would advance Tonina to second. First-year Luke Mahala delivered a clutch hit in the next at-bat, as he singled to right field to score fellow classmate Quinton Sterling, who pinch ran for Tonina. Despite loading the bases with a walk from sophomore Liam Houghton, Tobio struck out looking as the Ducks lost their fifth-straight.

Top Performers

• Reyes and Wolf each batted in two runs.
• Reyes, Tobio, and Krese each had two hits.
• Boykin scored twice.
• Krese also stole a base.
• Reyes recorded his first triple of the season and just the fifth by the team.

For the Opponents

• CJ Jensik (1-0) earned the victory in relief. He went 4.1 innings and allowed one run on two hits. He also struck out three. Luke Lehnen (3) picked up the save.
• Gavin Gawronski started for North Central. He went 3.2 innings and gave up seven runs on seven hits.
• Dave Fitzpatrick had three RBI and two hits.
• Jackson Bland had three hits and one RBI.

• FDU-Florham 5, Colby Sawyer 7
• Misericordia 8, York 9
• Arcadia vs. Swarthmore 4 p.m.
• Ithaca vs. Arcadia 7:30 p.m.

Up Next

• Baseball concludes their spring break trip with a matchup against the United States Merchant Marine Academy tomorrow. The game will start at 12 p.m. The Ducks are 9-2 all-time against USMMA, including winning the last eight. A link for live video is available on stevensducks.com.