KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Nick DeFeo's first career start set an awfully high bar.
The sophomore right-handed pitcher worked a four-hit shutout against a 7-1 Rhode Island College squad, helping the Ursinus College baseball team salvage a split of its last two games in Florida.
Already with a save under his belt during the annual spring-break trip to the Sunshine State, DeFeo was untouchable in the nightcap, locking down the Anchormen and avenging an 11-7 loss in the morning.
Juniors Dom Fiorentino and Alex Mumme continued to climb the all-time charts in triples and doubles, respectively, to help the Bears return home with a .326 team batting average and a 7.8 runs-per-game average in tow.
Game 1: Rhode Island College 11, Ursinus 7
RIC put the Bears (5-5) in a big hole in the opener, pouring on four runs in each of the first two innings behind a top-three in the order that finished 7-for-12 with seven runs and three RBI.
Ursinus did its best to make it interesting. Trailing 10-1 in the fifth, Fiorentino tallied his sixth triple of the season to ignite a one-out rally. The junior's triples total is already just one off the single-season school record set by Mike Gizzi in 2003. Sophomore Will Peiffer's RBI single was the first of three consecutive base hits, the last a run-scoring knock from freshman Jon Moldoff. Sophomore Jerry Scavone's sacrifice fly cut the margin to 10-5.
After the Anchormen scored one in the seventh, senior Carter Usowski moved into a tie for third in program history with his 32nd career double, an RBI knock to right that scored Scavone. Freshman Tim Pyne drove in another with a pinch-hit single before RIC closed it out.
Usowski finished 1-for-2 with three runs scored and a pair of walks. Mumme was 2-for-4 with a double, putting him within three of the school record of 44 two-baggers. Peiffer went 1-for-3 with a run, an RBI, and a walk.
Game 2: Ursinus 5, Rhode Island College 0
Behind DeFeo's right arm, the Bears ended their trip on a high note. The sophomore allowed just four hits and a walk, striking out four and keeping the Anchormen at bay for seven sparkling innings. RIC's first hit was a one-out single in the fourth, and DeFeo erased a leadoff single in the seventh with a 6-4-3 twin killing.
Sophomore Tom Jacobs opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the top of the second, and classmate Eric Gross doubled the lead on an RBI single in the fourth.
The Bears piled on three more in the sixth. Gross worked a leadoff walk and took second on a passed ball, then moved to third on Fiorentino's bunt single. Fiorentino stole second and Mumme was intentionally walked to load the bases for Moldoff, who brought Gross in with a grounder to first. Scavone broke it open with a two-run triple to left.
The triple was the first for Scavone, who matched Mumme and Peiffer for the team lead with 11 RBIs on the trip. Gross was 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.
Fiorentino (1-for-2, two walks) and senior Mike Stanziale (three walks) each reached base three times for the Bears, who drew nine walks. Fiorentino, Peiffer, and Stanziale each stole a base.