FORT PIERCE, FL -- La Roche battled Drew all day and came away with a split, walking off in a 6-5 Game 1 win and falling in Game 2 9-6.
Scoring got started in the second inning when Jay Novak singled and stole second. Philip Pieto hit a long fly ball to right field, which was caught, but Pieto hit it so deep that Novak tagged from second and scored.
Christian Hirt hit a 1-out double and Spina put one through the right-side to score Hirt for a 2-0 La Roche after three innings.
Drew responded with a bases-clearing double and a RBI single in the top of the fourth. Drew added one more in the top of the fifth and headed into the seventh inning with a 5-2 lead.
Austin Hoffman and Hirt reached on errors in the seventh inning to give the Redhawks a shot. Spina hit into a fielder's choice to score Hoffman. Urban then singled, advancing Spina to second. A double steal was successful and the tying run was now on second with 2 outs.
Shane Roebuck and the Redhawks were down to their final strike when Roebuck ripped a line drive to right field to score both Spina and Urban and tie the game at 5-5. Drew proceeded to intentionally walk Novak and with 2 outs, Pieto stepped up to the plate and hit a deep fly ball to right, this time dropping in. Gino Quahliero, who was running for Roebuck, scored and the Redhawks walked it off with a 6-5 win.
Jake Seymour recorded his first career win, going 2.1 innings, giving up 1 hit and striking out one. Nick Tunstall got the start . He threw 4.2 innings and struck out 3. Spina and Urban both went 2 for 4 and Spina, Roebuck and Pieto had multiple RBIs.
The Redhawks had a rough start to Game 2. Defensive blunders allowed Drew to grab a 5-0 lead after one inning of play.
La Roche got on the board in the top of the third. Quahliero singled through the left side, stole second, and Elmo Trickett drove him in with a single. Hoffman walked and Spina flied out to right, advancing Trickett to third. Joe Professori came up and got an RBI single, and La Roche headed into the bottom of the third trailing 5-2.
Drew scored four more runs in the bottom of the third and extended their lead to 9-2.
La Roche got another spark in the fifth inning. Trickett singled and stole second. Hoffman followed with a double. Following a pitching change, Spina came to bat and blooped a single into right field scoring Trickett. Professori singled to score Hoffman and Urban got Spina home on a fielder's choice. La Roche cut into the lead and headed into the fifth trailing 9-5.
It looked like La Roche might have a little magic left for a seventh inning rally. The first two batters got out, but Urban, Roebuck and Jonathan Melendez reached with back-to-back-to-back singles. Melendez's scoring Urban. Morales followed with a single, but a ground out ended the game and La Roche fell in Game 2 9-6.
Garren Telesz started the game and went 2.2 innings and Jesse Savisky threw a very effective 3.1 innings of relief striking out 3. Urban and Professori went 2 for 4 and Trickett went 2 for 3. Professori had 2 RBIs as well.
The Redhawks will be back in action tomorrow at 10 am once again when they take on Misericordia. The game will be live streamed on the LRC Sports Network.