CARY, N.C. — The Holy Cross baseball team slugged its way to a pair of wins on Saturday, March 4, defeating Dartmouth and Wagner in back-to-back contests in the Penn State Tournament at the USA Baseball Complex.
The Crusaders (3-7) cruised to an explosive 17-4 Game 1 win over the Big Green (0-5), with every player in the lineup recording at least one hit, before defeating Wagner (4-5) in a 14-12 result in a back-and-forth Game 2. Between the two contests, Holy Cross totaled 31 runs, 29 hits and 11 extra-base hits.
GAME ONE
Holy Cross 17, Dartmouth 4 (seven innings)
STATS LEADERS
Holy Cross:
Cooney (3-for-4, double, two RBI, three runs scored)
Scanlon (3-for-5, two doubles, three RBI, two runs scored)
Baillargeon (2-for-5, double, three RBI, two runs scored)
Benton (2-for-5, home run, two RBI, three runs scored)
McElroy (2-for-5, double, two RBI, two runs scored)
McOsker (1.1 IP, no runs, no hits, one strikeout)
Dartmouth:
Cox (2-for-3, RBI)
Hoyt (double, two RBI)
W: Wywoda (1-1)
L: Metzger (0-2)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Sophomore center fielder Connor Cooney led off the game with a double, and advanced to third on a groundout. He would later score on a wild pitch to give the Crusaders an early 1-0 lead.
- Sophomore shortstop Brendan Jones had a leadoff single in the second and moved to third on a single by junior second baseman Jake McElroy. A wild pitch scored Jones and was also ball four to put freshman right fielder Jake Jaszcz on first base; freshman catcher Lucas Manning was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Cooney singled to score two more runs, and sophomore starting pitcher Sean Scanlon drove in one more run with a single to build a 5-0 lead for Holy Cross.
- Dartmouth got two runs back in the bottom of the second on an RBI groundout and single.
- A four-run fourth extended the lead to 9-2 for Holy Cross. Sophomore left fielder Chris Baillargeon hit a two-run double, and senior first baseman Chris Benton followed with a two-run homer.
- The Crusaders' advantage grew to 10 runs in the top of the sixth inning after Baillargeon had an RBI single to center and McElroy hammered a two-run double to make the score 12-2.
- A sac fly and RBI double helped the Big Green cut the Holy Cross lead to 12-4.
- After back-to-back walks to open the seventh inning, Scanlon hit a two-run double to push the lead back to double digits. Jones then hit an RBI infield single and freshman catcher Manning later drove in two more runs with a bases-loaded single.
GAME TWO
Holy Cross 14, Wagner 12
STATS LEADERS
Holy Cross:
Scanlon (3-for-5, double, home run, two RBI, two runs scored)
Casserly (grand slam, three walks)
McElroy (2-for-5, double, two RBI, two runs scored)
Jones (2-for-5, double, two runs scored)
Walters (W, 2.0 IP, no runs, no hits, two strikeouts)
Wagner:
Matthews (2-for-5, two home runs, five RBI)
Melfi (home run, two RBI)
Cazares (2-for-5, two RBI)
W: Walters (1-1)
L: Del Castillo (0-1)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Wagner had an early 5-0 lead in the bottom of the second after a bases-loaded single scored a pair of runs, followed by a three-run homer.
- Scanlon responded in the third with a two-run home run, and Jaszcz drew a bases-loaded walk to cut it to 5-3. Junior catcher Patrick Casserly's grand slam launched Holy Cross into the lead, 7-5.
- A solo homer brought the Seahawks within a score of 7-6 in the fourth inning; they took an 8-7 lead after a two-run homer in the fifth. That advantage grew to 10-7 after a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly.
- Cooney drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh to make the score 10-8, and Scanlon was hit by a pitch to bring Holy Cross within 10-9.
- Baillargeon hit a two-run single to right field to put the Crusaders back into the lead, 11-10; Jones followed with a base hit to score one more run and cap off a five-run inning.
- Wagner evened up the game with RBI groundouts in the seventh and eighth innings.
- With the game tied at 12-12, Baillargeon singled to lead off the ninth, and Jones drew a one-out walk to put a pair of runners on. McElroy then sent a double into left field to give the Crusader the lead again, 14-12.
- Sophomore reliever Augie Walters kept the Seahawks off the board in the ninth, ending the game with a called strikeout to secure the win.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- The Crusaders' 17 runs and five doubles vs. Dartmouth both marked season highs.
- The 13-run win is Holy Cross' largest margin of victory in a game since defeating Cal State Bakersfield, 16-2, in March 2020.
- Holy Cross also drew a season-high 14 walks vs. Wagner, their most in a game since a matchup at Lafayette on March 21, 2021.
DUE UP:
- The Crusaders will face Penn State at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 5 at the USA Baseball Complex.
FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS
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