TUCSON, Ariz. — The Southern Vermont College baseball team took an early lead Saturday afternoon but ultimately fell 13-8 to Ashford University in the Mountaineers' first of six contests to be played in the Tucson Invitational Games at the Kino Sports Complex during the crew's annual spring trip away from the Northeast.
SVC tacked up five runs in the second inning for the quick upper hand, then padding its cushion in the third with another three scores. The Saints chipped away at their deficit throughout the remainder of the contest, plating a pair of runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to get on the board.
AU then added a single run in each the seventh and eighth to make it an 8-6 Mountaineer advantage going into the final frame. Ashford was able to tie it up with two outs in the ninth, and the Saints added five more to go in front for the final 13-8 tally.
With the loss, the Mountaineers fall to 3-4 on the year. They are back in action on Sunday, taking on Macalester College in a doubleheader slated to start at 12 p.m. (MST).
Southern Vermont sophomore infielder John Arancio (Oradell, N.J.) went 3-5 at the dish with a pair of runs scored while freshman center fielder Zack Stacey (Saratoga, N.Y.) was 2-3 with two walks, two RBIs and a run scored out of the leadoff spot; both Mountaineers registered a double and a stolen base on the day. Freshman catcher Dan Mason (Bloomingdale, N.J.) went 1-3 with the bat, knocking out his first collegiate home run while adding a second run scored.
Mountaineer junior right-hander Dylan Angelo (Ft. Johnson, N.Y.) went six innings with the start, giving up four runs (three earned) and striking out eight. Senior righty Chris Bradt (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) suffered the loss from the bump (0-1).
Neither side was able to push across a run in the first, Ashford leaving one on in the top half of the inning before Southern Vermont left them loaded in the bottom. Angelo struck out the side in the second, paving the way for his offense to provide some run support.
Arancio started off the home half of the inning with a double sent out to center, and he would be able to trot around to score on the next at bat when Mason turned on one and blasted it over the fence in right to put SVC up 2-0. Stacey got aboard with a bloop single into shallow right, then staying on the base paths as his slide into second on an attempt to break up a double play caused the Saint player to drop the ball. Southern Vermont senior shortstop RJ Pingitore (Perth, N.Y.) came to the plate and ripped a triple to center, bringing around the two Mountaineer runners to increase their advantage; he then made it 5-0 by tagging up on a fly out to left off the bat of junior Niko Horwith (La Crescenta, Calif.).
Ashford got a pair of runners into scoring position with two down in the third, but Angelo worked his fifth strikeout of the day to get back in the dugout. SVC kept its offense going in the bottom of the box, Arancio once again leading off the inning with a hit to start things. A Mason walk brought sophomore right fielder Niko D'Agnese (Mahopac, N.Y.) to the plate, an at bat that attempted to move the runners up 90 feet with a sacrifice bunt; the Saint defense, however, threw the ball away for D'Agnese to move around to second while Arancio scooted home. Stacey followed with his double down the line in left, plating Mason for the 8-0 Mountaineer lead.
The tides would quickly turn as AU started to cut into its deficit in the next half inning. Two Saint hits preceded a bunt that was well-placed for a third, and an ensuing double to right made it an 8-2 ballgame. That ended Angelo's streak of scoreless innings thrown at 19.2, spanning the course of three starts for the junior. Ashford got SVC to go down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fourth before adding another pair of scores in the fifth; two AU doubles brought home the first of those runs, and the second then scored on a Southern Vermont fielding miscue that extended the inning.
The 8-4 Mountaineer run held until the top of the seventh when Ashford continued to inch back, three straight one-out hits leading to the Saints' tally. SVC got a pair aboard in the seventh with Arancio's third hit and another Mason walk, but an inning-ending double play brought AU back up to the plate. The Saints got runners to the corners with two down, and a seeing-eye single past a diving Arancio on the right side of the infield brought in the fifth Ashford run.
AU was able to complete the comeback in the ninth, loading the bases with one out before a walk made it an 8-7 score. A subsequent fly ball sent into left landed for the tying run to come home as Southern Vermont sophomore Luigi Magliocca (Broadalbin, N.Y.) scooped it up and gunned down the runner headed to third for the second out of the inning. A plunked batter loaded the pond once again, and a following hit by pitch then put Ashford in front at 9-8. The Saints would go on to add four more runs before the inning was ended, taking their lead and putting away the game in the bottom of the frame for the win.