Box Score JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - The Marist baseball team suffered a 9-8 loss at East Tennessee State in 11 innings in the second of a three-game series on Saturday.
Senior first baseman Mike Orefice (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) homered twice, and went 3-for-6 with five runs batted in. Sophomore third baseman Alec Petrone (Mahopac, N.Y.), junior designated hitter Zachary Passerelle (Sparta, N.J.) and freshman center fielder Matt Pagano (Cranston, R.I.) each had two hits.
Junior right-hander Kevin McCarthy (Malverne, N.Y.) went the first eight innings, scattering 11 hits but striking out nine against just one walk. Sophomore right-hander Evan Davis (Little Falls, N.Y.) pitched the final two-plus innings and took the loss to fall to 0-1. Davis recorded two strikeouts and did not walk a batter, giving the Marist staff 11 strikeouts on the day.
Marist struck first with three runs in the second. Orefice belted a leadoff homer. Passerelle then drew a one-out walk, stole second with two outs, and scored on an RBI triple by Pagano, who would then come in on an RBI single by sophomore catcher Mark Brennan (Wallingford, Conn.).
East Tennessee State answered with a run in the second, but Marist then scored five times in the fourth. Pagano led off with a double, and scored on a bunt by junior right fielder Pat Welsh (Millersville, Pa.). With the bases loaded and one out, Orefice belted a grand slam to give the Red Foxes an 8-1 lead.
East Tennessee State then fought back with four runs in the fifth, with the big blow being a two-run double by left fielder Dylan Tritsch. The Buccaneers added a run in the sixth, cutting the Red Foxes' lead to 8-6.
With two outs in the ninth and center fielder Andrew Green on first, pitcher Clinton Freeman tripled to left field to score Green. Freeman then came in himself on a throwing error to tie the score.
In the Buccaneers' 11th, Tritsch singled with none out and the bases loaded to bring home catcher Mason Hershey with the winning run.
Freeman, who did not give up a run over the final 2.1 innings, earned the win to improve to 3-0.
Marist is now 2-4 on the season; East Tennessee State improved to 8-2. The teams will wrap up their three-game series on Sunday. Senior RHP Brett Houseal (Landisville, Pa.) is Marist's scheduled starters, and he will be opposed by RHP Jimmy Nesselt.
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