WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Dickinson baseball team kicked off a busy Spring Break trip in Florida with a pair of hard fought one-run games against the Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers on Saturday afternoon. The Red and White dropped a tough 7-6 decision in game one, before righting the ship to secure a 4-3 victory during the night cap.

Game One

Final Score – Tigers 7, DEVILS 6 (F/8)

Team Records – DEVILS (4-4) | RIT (4-4)

Pitching Decision – W – Joseph Wozny (1-0) | L – Charlie Bien (0-1)

Inside the Game


After a scoreless first inning, the Red and White would strike during the top of the second against Ryan Merkov. With two away, Luke Gartland worked a walk before Ethan Sodl deposited an RBI single for the 1-0 lead. However, the Tigers responded in the home-half as a leadoff single for Charlie Slaymaker gave way to a two-run homer for Roberto Reade off of starter Sam Bliss. Sam Kulp then reached on an error prior to scoring two batters later when Jackson Rusiecki collected an RBI single for the 3-1 edge through two.
The score stayed that way into the fourth as in the top of the frame a walk to Gartland and two-bagger from Sodl put two in scoring position for Freeman Hunt. Unfortunately, he flew out to center retiring the side. The home portion saw both Trent Rapp and Max Matteucci pick up singles, but Bliss got Jarin Moses to ground into an inning ending double play.
Nolan Bonnell took over for Merkov to open up the fifth and got two quick outs. However, he then hit Kevin Schmidt and allowed RBI base hits to both Johnny Bruno and Kyle Bailey to tie the game at 3-3. A walk to Miguel Reich and a hit batter filled the cushions for Sodl who delivered a two-run single making it 5-3 going to the bottom-half. Bliss came out and set the Tigers down in order to provide a much needed shutdown inning.
RIT got one back in the sixth on singles for Kulp and Rapp against new arm Charlie Bien, before pulling even in the seventh as Reade singled with one down setting up the game-tying base hit for Caelan Kim.
Dickinson went ahead in the top of the when with one gone Josh Markley worked a walk from Bonnell. After a pop-up from Dylan Posencheg led to the second out, Schmidt smacked an RBI double to force the Tigers to face last call down 6-5. Unfortunately, a walk and two singles loaded the bags for Slaymaker with one down. He would end the game with a two-run base hit setting the 7-6 result.

Dickinson Hitting Leaders


Hits – Sodl (3)
RBIs – Sodl (3)
Runs Scored – Six players tied (1)
Doubles – Bruno, Schmidt and Sodl (1)

Dickinson Mound Report


Bliss – 5.0 ip, 3 runs (2 earned), 6 hits, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts
Bien (L) – 2.1 ip, 4 runs (earned), 8 hits, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts

Game Two
Final Score – DEVILS 4, Tigers 3
Team Records – DEVILS (5-4) | RIT (4-5)
Pitching Decision – W – Glen Cantalupo Jr. (1-0) | L – James Kelly (0-1)

Inside the Game


Austin Buzza started the game by hitting Jackson Rusiecki, but then setdown the ensuing three hitters. Liam Miller toed the slab for the Tigers to open the game and allowed three men to reach on two walks and a hit batter. However, he was able to turn away Gartland and Sodl to keep it scoreless after one.
Pitching was the name of the game over the next three innings as Buzza allowed a runner in two of the frames, while Miller fanned ten of the next eleven DC hitters he faced giving up just one free pass to Schmidt.
The Tigers used a Kulp two-bagger and a DC error on Rusiecki’s at-bat to push across the first run of the game in the fifth. The Red and White had an answer in the home-half as a single for Posencheg and walks to Bruno and Schmidt loaded the bags for Gartland with two away. Gartland would be plunked by the Miller offering to plate the equalizing run. That ended the day for Miller as he was replaced by James Kelly who got Sodl to popout to retire the side.
RIT took the lead back on the first batter of the sixth when Matteucci knocked the Buzza pitch over the wall for a 2-1 edge. Buzza then settled down inducing two pop-ups and a groundout. With two out, Dickinson attempted to rally. Will Ferris worked a walk setting the stage for an RBI knock by Markley to tie the game. The next man into the box was Posencheg who put the Devils ahead with an RBI single making it 3-2 heading to the final frame.
Kim opened up the seventh with a bang by knocking the Buzza offering out of the park. A single and groundout chased the starter from the game leading to Glen Cantalupo Jr. taking over on the hill. He would get Rapp to bounce into an inning-ending double play. Bruno began the last of the inning with a strikeout. The next man was Gartland who was hit by the pitch to put the winning run on base. That brought Sodl to the dish and he provided the decisive contact as a misplay by the third baseman allowed Gartland to race home.

Dickinson Hitting Leaders


Hits – Posencheg (2)
RBIs – Gartland, Markley, Posencheg and Sodl (1)
Runs Scored – Ferris, Gartland, Markley and Posencheg (1)

Devils Mound Report


Buzza – 6.1 ip, 3 runs (2 earned), 6 hits, 0 walks, 5 strikeouts
Cantalupo Jr. (W) – 0.2 ip, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts

The On-Deck Circle


Dickinson (5-4) continues their Florida swing on Sunday with a non-conference doubleheader against Wesleyan University beginning at 2pm.

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