Franciscan Travels To Florida, Splits Opening Double-Header

Franciscan Travels To Florida, Splits Opening Double-Header

Franciscan's baseball team headed south to Florida to Coco Beach training complex to play a series of exhibition games over spring break. The Barons notched their first victory of the season over the Hawks of Hilbert College 16-6 in the second game of a double-header. The Barons dropped the first contest 4-0.

Franciscan exploded offensively in the victory, which had been lacking in their previous games. The stars of the game were shortstop Anthony Pontarelli and second baseman Steve Jagla. Pontarelli in the lead-off spot went 5-6 with 4 runs and 2 RBIs. Jagla went 4-5 with 2 runs and 4 RBIs. Robert Marrow, David Dupuy, and Chris Clynes also had 2 RBIs a piece.

The big inning for Franciscan was the sixth, with the Barons scoring 6 runs off of 5 hits. Franciscan also scored 4 runs in the third. The winning pitcher Nathan Cain (1-1) pitched 5 innings giving up four earned runs off of 6 hits while striking out 6. Sam Quillen pitched two innings of relief giving up one earned run to finalize the score at 16-6.

In the first contest Hilbert had control as the Hawks starter Nicholas Sherman pitched a two hitter in Hilbert's 4-0 win. Franciscan's Steve Daly gave up 4 runs off of 10 hits while going the distance. Sherman took a no-hitter into the fourth before Jagla singled at the top of the inning. Cain doubled in the seventh to get the only other hit for the Barons on the game.

Franciscan (1-6) will face Nichols College from Dudley, Mass. in more spring training action on March 17.