EMMITSBURG, Md. - The Saint Peter's baseball team showed a ton of fight in game two against Mount St. Mary's, but ultimately fell by three runs, 5-8, on Saturday at E.T. Straw Family Stadium.
The Peacocks (3-28, 0-14 MAAC) had a great opportunity to either win or extend the game with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth inning, but the Mountaineers (16-15, 9-8 MAAC) notched back-to-back strikeouts to close it out.
Despite the defeat, Saint Peter's outhit Mount St. Mary's 9-to-6, but the Mountaineers also managed 14 strikeouts which was one of the deciding factors in the game.
Steve Polizzi came alive late and hit another home run, his fourth of the year, as he finished the day with two hits.
Alex Manent also had two hits while
Allen Ramos recorded the Peacocks' only double.
James Ellis started the day on the mound and pitched through the first four innings before handing the reins to
Zaine Toneske. Toneske struck out half of the batters he faced and didn't allow a single hit in two innings pitched.
Frank Caietta ended the game for SPU, and he didn't allow a hit either.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Peacocks faced a two-run deficit heading into the third inning, but that's when they scored their first run. With Ramos on second after a double,
Joey Dwyer singled to left field to send Ramos home.
RJ Azarieh followed that up with another single and then Saint Peter's had bases loaded after a walk. Mount St. Mary's tallied its second out with a strikeout, but on the next at-bat,
Bobby Lavely singled to score two runs and give SPU a 3-2 lead.
The Mountaineers tied things up at 3-3 in the bottom of the third after a sacrifice fly to right field brought in a run. It was in the bottom of the fourth when Mount St. Mary's took control of the game, hitting a three-run homer to go up 6-3.
The Peacocks didn't have an answer until after the Mountaineers had added two more runs. That answer was a home run to left field by Polizzi for his second home run in two days. The strike came in the top of the eighth to make the score 4-8.
In the top of the ninth, the Peacocks had a great chance to make a comeback with the bases loaded. Polizzi singled to center field to score one runner and make it 5-8. Mount St. Mary's locked in and struck out the last two batters to win the game by three runs.
UP NEXT
The final game of the series between Saint Peter's and Mount St. Mary's will be played tomorrow, Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
