PITTSBURGH, PA – La Roche Baseball (13-4, 2-0) opened AMCC Conference play with a 6-2, 4-0 double-header sweep of Pitt-Greensburg (1-11, 0-2) on Friday. The win is their 16th straight at John Arnold Sr. Memorial Field and their 9th straight against AMCC competition dating back to last season.
Anthony Girdano singled home Brian Tougher in the top of the fourth to break open a scoreless Game 1 tie and the Redhawks added 5 more runs in the fifth inning to go up 6-0. Matt Sabitini, Andrew Zeger, and Colin Williamson led off the fifth with three straight singles before Sabitini and Zeger scored on an error by the third baseman. Sean Lubin singled home Williamson and proceeded to steal second and third base, and scored on a single by Tougher. Tougher added a run on an RBI single by Dan Burns.
Pitt-Greensburg scored twice in the 6th inning but pitchers James Connelly and Jesse Bauer combined to hold the Bobcats to just 2 runs.
Tougher went 2 for 4 with 2 runs, an RBI, and a stolen base. Burns registered 2 hits including an RBI single and Lubin singled, stole 2 bases, and scored. Sabitini, Zeger, and Williamson reached and scored and Girdano added an RBI.
Connelly (4-0) recorded the victory to win his school-record twentieth career game and ninth decision in a row. He did not allow an earned run in 6 innings and allowed just 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3 batters. Jesse Bauer pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning of relief.
The Redhawks success continued into Game 2 when they took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Williamson and Shane Healey singled to start off the inning and both runners moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Lubin. Williamson scored the game's first run on a groundout to second base by Tougher and Burns followed with a walk to put runners at the corners. Healey stole home in the next at bat to go up 2 runs.
La Roche added RBI singles in the fifth and seventh innings to go up 4-0 and Redhawks' starter Tyler Ferguson threw a gem to hold Pitt-Greensburg scoreless.
Tougher had a 2 RBI single and Williamson scored twice and stole a base. Burns singled, drew a walk, and was hit by a pitch, and Sabitini and Healey got on base and scored.
Ferguson (3-2) was dominant on the mound striking out a career-high 11 batters including 6 in a row between the first and third innings. He allowed just 4 hits and 5 total baserunners to record his first-career complete game shutout.
La Roche Baseball will enjoy the Easter holiday before traveling to Thiel for a single 9-inning game on Wednesday. They will return to John Arnold Sr. Memorial field next Thursday when they host Bethany.