| Stat Comparison |
| Category |
ARMY |
HC |
| Runs |
5 |
3 |
| Hits |
10 |
5 |
| Errors |
1 |
4 |
| Left On Base |
12 |
6 |
| Box Score |
WORCESTER, Mass. – The second-seeded Holy Cross baseball team concluded its season with a 5-3 loss to third-seeded Army West Point in Game 3 of a Patriot League semifinal series on Sunday, May 12 at Fitton Field.
STATS LEADERS:
- David Kale (1-for-3, triple, RBI)
- Chris Rinaldi (1-for-4, double, RBI)
- Alex Gionis (1-for-3, double)
- Ben Malgeri (1-for-4, double)
- Jared Enders (1-for-1, run scored)
- C.J. McKennitt (2.1 IP, two hits, no runs, two strikeouts)
- Matt Clarkin (1.0 IP, no hits)
W: Daniel Burggraaf (5-2)
L: Liam Dvorak (6-5)
S: Harry Flannery (3)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Though first pitch was originally scheduled for 1 p.m., inclement weather pushed back the start time until 9 p.m.
- Army made quick work to get on the board early, scoring off an RBI double in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. That lead became 2-0 in the second inning after a fielding error extended the frame and an RBI single brought another run home.
- The Black Knights' lead eventually grew to 5-0 by the fifth inning.
- Holy Cross got its first run on the board in the seventh; senior Kellen McCormick stepped in to pinch hit and was immediately hit by a pitch, and he came home after an RBI triple by sophomore left fielder David Kale.
- Freshman right-handed pitcher C.J. McKennitt threw 2.1 scoreless frames to keep the Army lead within striking distance. The Crusaders tacked on another run in the bottom of the eighth after junior Jared Enders had a pinch-hit infield single and junior shortstop Chris Rinaldi brought him home with a double to center field.
- Freshman lefty Matt Clarkin threw a scoreless ninth to keep Holy Cross within three runs entering the final half-inning.
- The Crusaders put runners on second and third to lead off the ninth after a walk was issued to junior first baseman Alex Volpi and senior Alex Gionis hit a double in the left-center gap. Army earned the first out of the inning with a strikeout; freshman pinch hitter Nate Wolf had a sacrifice fly to score Volpi and bring Holy Cross within 5-3, but Army was able to turn a double play at second base after the runner left early to secure the final out and the victory.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- After starting with a 1-17 record in 2019, the Crusaders went 21-15 over their remaining games to finish with a 22-32 record on the year. Army improves to 33-23 overall and advances to the Patriot League Championship Series.
- With six strikeouts in his outing, sophomore right-handed pitcher Liam Dvorak ends the year with 83 strikeouts – the most by a Holy Cross pitcher since 1925 and fifth-most in single-season program history.
- Gionis ends the 2019 campaign with 37 walks on the year – third-most in single-season program history. He ended his career on a 10-game reached base streak, with a .440 average and .760 slugging percentage in that stretch.
