March 12, 2011
Box Score
DOVER, Del. - Senior right-hander Kyle Putnam (New Windsor, N.Y.) and senior left-hander Sean McKeown (Hillsborough, N.J.) combined to pitch an eight-hit shutout as the Marist baseball team defeated Delaware State 6-0 on Saturday. The win was the Red Foxes' fifth straight.
Putnam went the first six innings and recorded six strikeouts while allowing just five hits and two walks to improve to 1-2 on the season. McKeown pitched the final three and struck out three as he earned his first save of the season.
Offensively, senior catcher Ricky Pacione (Newburgh, N.Y.) led the way by going 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Red-shirt senior designated hitter Bryce Nugent (Binghamton, N.Y.) went 2-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI. Sophomore first baseman Michael Gallic (Tolland, Conn.) was 2-for-5 with a double, and freshman left fielder Jake Berry (South Hamilton, Mass.) scored a pair of runs.
The Red Foxes scored first in the top of the first when Nugent's RBI double brought home junior third baseman Jon Schwind (Hilton, N.Y.), who had reached on a fielder's choice. Marist then broke the game open with three runs in the top of the second. Sophomore shortstop Zach Shank (Lititz, Pa.) led off with a single, and then advanced to second on an error. A successful sacrifice by freshman right fielder Pat Welsh (Millersville, Pa.) advanced Shank to third, and he scored one batter later on an RBI groundout by freshman second baseman Nick McQuail (Wantagh, N.Y.). Berry kept the inning going by reaching on an error, and he scored from first on RBI double by Orefice to put Marist up 3-0. Pacione followed with a double of his own to plate Orefice and give the Red Foxes a 4-0 advantage.
Marist then added a pair of runs in its half of the seventh. Berry reached on a one-out error, and then advanced to third when Orefice singled and moved up to second himself on an error. Pacione drove both in with a single up the middle to make the score 6-0.
Marist outhit Delaware State, 10-8. For the Hornets, shortstop Keith Hernandez and left fielder Tony Gatto had two hits apiece. Delaware State starter Matt McClain (0-3) took the loss, giving up all six Marist runs - just two of which were earned - in 6.1 innings.
The Red Foxes improved to 8-3 on the season; Delaware State now stands at 3-10. The teams will conclude their three-game series on Sunday, with first pitch slated for 1 p.m.
