Opportunistic Davidson Downs Saint Joseph’s In First Game of the Series

Andrew Cossetti Sets the Hawks Program Record for Most RBI’s in a Single Season

MERION STATION, PA. 5/12/2022 –

It is a series of great interest for both teams. First place Davidson is looking to earn the top-seed in the upcoming Atlantic 10 Tournament. Saint Joseph’s is looking to solidify a berth to postseason play. Game one of the three game series goes to the Davidson Wildcats who beat the Saint Joseph’s Hawks 6 – 2 at Smithson Field.

Davidson won the game by producing in two-out at bats, while Saint Joe’s let some opportunities get away early in the game. The Wildcats scored 5 of their 6 runs with two-outs in an inning. Early in the game the Hawks left two runners on in the first inning and the bases loaded in the second.

“That’s a huge momentum piece when you get a two-out hit,” said Saint Joseph’s Coach Fritz Hamburg. “They kept adding. We had opportunities but didn’t cash in on them the same way. That was probably the difference in the game outside of the free passes.”

Davidson Two-Out Lightening

In the second inning the first two Davidson batters were retired. Shortstop Jacob Hinderleider singled to right. He got to third base on a pop single to right by third baseman John Hosmer. The Wildcats went for a double steal. The Hawks tried to get Hosmer at second, but cut it off as Hinderleider dashed to the plate. He beat the throw to give his team a 1 – 0 lead.

The Wildcats added another run in the fourth when Hinderleider crossed the plate when second baseman Jake Wilhoit singled to center field.

The critical inning was in the sixth. Saint Joe’s needed one more out to end the inning. With the bases loaded the Hawks pitcher Alec Rodriguez retired the first two batters he faced. Then he walked the next three batters that plated Hosmer and Friend. The Wildcats took 5 – 1 lead. Mike Picollo came in for SJU to end the inning with the bases full.

Davidson struck again in the with two-out when center fielder Parker Nolan doubled in catcher Michael Carico. The hit was significant because Nolan completed hitting for the cycle in 4 at-bats, scoring once and batting in three. He had the only run producing at-bat with less than two-retired for Davidson with a homerun in the fifth inning.

Saint Joseph’s Run Production

In the third inning the Hawks had two-down. Third Baseman Nate Thomas singled to right and later took second on a wild pitch. Catcher Andrew Cossetti doubled to left scoring Thomas to tie the game. The overriding significance of the RBI was that it was #57 of the season for Cossetti to set the program record for most runs batted in for a single season.

The Hawks scored in the seventh. Second Baseman Liam Bendo doubled. It was the first hit for Saint Joe’s since the third inning. Left Fielder Brett Callahan brought him home with a double cutting the gap to 5 – 2. SJU was poised for more, but Callahan got caught in a run down between second and third to end the inning.

Pitching Overview

Nolan Devos got the win going 5 innings giving up just one run, earned. He struck out 7 and walked 4. The Wildcats bullpen kept the Hawks under control as Will Schomberg and Bennett Flynn gave up one run and did not walk a batter. Flynn got his fifth save of the season.

The loss went to Ian McCole (2 -5) who pitched 4 innings giving up 2 earned runs, a strikeout and a walk. The bullpen gave up 4 runs, all earned, walking 5 and striking out one.

Upcoming Games

The Hawks have one more homestand after this weekend to end the season. The series with Davidson is a learning experience for Saint Joe’s. The Hawks in are a pack of teams trying to land a spot in the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Game two of the series is tomorrow, the wrap up on Saturday.

“We are aware of the situation,” Hamburg said. “They’re the team that has played the best, they’re in first place, and it’s a big challenge for us. When we get to the tournament we’re going to have to beat somebody of their caliber, whoever that is. It’s nice to see and compete against that now. You play for the opportunity to play against teams that are that good.”

Boxscore

Written By: Glenn Papazian

Contact: Glenn@PhillyCollegeSports.com

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