PHILADELPHIA – The Concordia College baseball team traveled to take on the USciences Devils on Monday afternoon for a pair of Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) games. The Clippers managed to take one of the two games as Concordia won game one, 9-7, but fell in the nightcap, 4-2.
The Clippers would take a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning as junior John Calabrese (Lodi, N.J.) drove in a run while later scoring off an error by USciences. A double by sophomore Kendell Luquis (Lodi, N.J.) in the fourth would allow junior Andre Jackson (Massapequa, N.Y.) to score as Concordia now led 3-0. In the home half of the fourth the Devils cut their deficit to only a run after scoring two runs in the inning.
In the top of the fifth the Clippers extended their advantage to 8-2 after Calabrese scored on a wild pitch while freshman Hermes Abreu (Bayshore, N.Y.) and Luquis both recorded two RBIs. USciences would get one run back in the home half of the fifth and scored two more runs in the sixth as Concordia's lead was trimmed to 8-5.
A lead-off triple for Abreu in the seventh allowed Jackson to record a sacrifice RBI as the Clippers added their ninth and final run of the game. The Devils would score lone runs in the seventh and ninth innings, but it wouldn't be enough as Concordia held on for the 9-7 win.
Junior Raymond Rosado (Brooklyn, N.Y.) earned the victory for the Clippers as he allowed four earned runs on seven hits while striking out a season-high eight batters in 6.0 innings of work. Sophomore Jacob Bannon (Glendale, N.Y.) pitched 2.0 innings of relief as he allowed one earned runs on four hits while striking out a batter. Sophomore Joseph Impeduglia (Staten Island, N.Y.) closed out the ninth for his team-leading fourth save of the season as he would allow one earned run on three hits.
Game two saw both teams go scoreless through the first three innings as USciences scored three runs in the fourth and a lone run in the fourth to hold a 4-0 advantage. Concordia scored their first run of the game in the seventh as a triple from freshman Jake Partridge (Bardonia, N.Y.) drove in Luquis from first base.
The Clippers looked to mount a late comeback in the ninth as senior Joseph Davide (West Hempstead, N.Y.) recorded a two-out RBI single to get within two runs of the Devils. Concordia was unable to complete the comeback as USciences held on for the 4-2 victory.
Sophomore Michael Romano (Yonkers, N.Y.) pitched 7.0 innings for the Clippers in the loss as he allowed four earned runs on four hits while striking out three batters. Sophomore Patrick Rivera (Elmont, N.Y.) pitched the eighth inning as he allowed one hit and struck out a batter.
Concordia (18-19, 14-10 CACC) will be on the road again this Friday as they will visit Bloomfield College for a CACC North Division doubleheader. First pitch of game one is set for 12 p.m.