ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Sophomore center fielder
Gianni Royer knocked in four runs while junior right-handed pitcher
Jaden Wywoda spun 6.2 quality innings as the Holy Cross baseball team rolled to an 8-1 win against Patriot League foe Navy Sunday afternoon at Max Bishop Stadium.
The win pushed the Crusaders to 21-20 overall and 12-7 PL while the Midshipmen fall to 22-19, 13-9 PL. Holy Cross captured their final road weekend series of the season. The Crusaders' 16-14 (.533) road record is the first time since 2018 (14-13, .519) that they finished their road regular-season slate with a record above .500. Holy Cross has won eight of their last 11 games.
Royer set the tone from the get go smoking a two RBI double in the top of the first. Wywoda hurled 6.2 quality innings allowing zero earned runs lowering his ERA to 3.18 on the year and earning his fifth consecutive victory giving him seven on the campaign which leads the Patriot League.
Sophomore left fielder
John LaFleur extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a 1-for-3 showing. LaFleur is hitting .333 (13-of-39) with a home run, 11 RBI, three doubles, and four runs scored during the streak.
STARTING ON THE MOUND:
- Junior Jaden Wywoda: (W, 7-1), 6.2 innings pitched, two hits allowed, one run – zero earned, four walks, six strikeouts.
- Kevin Mauer: (L, 1-2), 1.0 innings pitched, three hits allowed, three earned runs, one walk, zero strikeouts.
OUT OF THE BULLPEN:
- Freshman Marco Citro: 2.1 innings pitched, two hits allowed, zero runs, zero earned runs, zero walks, two strikeouts.
- Ryan Bibb: 1.0 innings pitched, two hits allowed, one earned run, two walks, one strikeout.
STEPPING TO THE PLATE:
- Gianni Royer: 2-for-5, two doubles, four RBI, run scored, stolen base.
- Junior CJ Egrie: 3-for-5, three runs scored, walk, stolen base.
- Senior Connor Peek: 2-for-4, two runs scored, walk.
- John LaFleur: 1-for-3, two RBI.
- Senior Chris Baillargeon: 1-for-3, RBI, run scored, walk,
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Holy Cross struck first in the top of the first as Royer doubled down the left field line to plate Egrie and Baillargeon. Senior Sean Scanlon lofted a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 3-0.
- In the second, LaFleur laid down a sacrifice bunt to score another run making it 4-0 Crusaders.
- A Navy RBI groundout brought them within three in the bottom of the third.
- The Crusaders scored another run via a fielding error in the fifth as their lead grew to 5-1.
- Two runs in the sixth, a LaFleur hit by pitch and a Royer groundout to shortstop increased the lead to 7-1.
- Wywoda faced some traffic on the bases in the sixth, but got a timely caught stealing from freshman catcher Nick Spaner to Peek for the first out of the frame. Wywoda got a flyout and a foul out to end the inning.
- Egrie stole second and used his speed scoring from third on a foul out just beyond first base for the 8-1 margin in the eighth.
POSTGAME THOUGHTS:
DUE UP:
- Holy Cross ends the regular-season with eight straight home games beginning on Tuesday, April 22 versus nonconference opponent Dartmouth (7-21).
- First pitch is set for 5 p.m.
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