FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – The Marymount (Va.) University baseball team opened Capital Athletic Conference play in full force on Saturday afternoon, sweeping No. 12 University of Mary Washington in a nine-inning twin bill to move to 10-9 for the season. 

Game One: Marymount 4, Mary Washington 3 

Sophomore Collin Bazemore took the mound for the start in game one on Saturday, pitching five innings to give up just two runs while striking out three. He went to work in the bottom of the first with some help from his catch, junior Roy Coates, who sent out two perfect throws across the diamond to sophomore Kaden Darrow for two caught stealings. 

The Saints capitalized off that defensive effort in the top of the second when sophomore Stephen Berczek smacked a RBI double to left field to bring home Coates to push the 1-0 lead. 

The Eagles kept MU off the scoreboard through the next four innings while adding three runs to take a 3-1 lead by the end of the sixth. But the Saints didn't sit back, crossing three players over home plate in the seventh and eighth to take over the lead for the rest of the game. 

In the seventh, freshman Conner Hall singled to left field, bringing home Berczek to cut the deficit to one. The following inning, Berczek brought home the two game-winning runs off a single to center field, scoring Coates and junior Brandon Orbe. 

Junior John LaMotta earned the win on the hill pitching 3.2 innings of relief to give up just three hits and striking out four. 

Game Two: Marymount 8, Mary Washington 4 

The Saints came in hot in game two, exploding out to a 6-0 lead in the top of the third. The first run came across on an error by the Eagle catcher, scoring freshman Nick Smutko. 

With freshman Luke Tyree advancing to second on the error by the catch, junior Lorenzo Calderon didn't let him stay there for long, singling a shot to left field to score the freshman. Calderon stole second on the next at batter, before Orbe sent a liner up the right-field line to bring around Calderon for the third run of the inning. 

The bats stayed hot for the Saints with junior Ben Berczek coming up next to single to left field to advance Orbe to second. Coates, in the next at bat, reached first on an error by the second baseman, which also scored Orbe and moved Berczek to third. 

Stephen Berczek stepped into the box next, smacking a single to right field to score Ben Berczek, followed by Smutko bringing home Coates in the next at bat on an infield single to cap off the six-run inning. 

The Eagles inched their way back into the game with a run in each inning up to the sixth to pull within two, 6-4, but Marymount answered in the eighth with two more runs to seal up the victory. The two runs came on one play and off the bat of Stephen Berczek. The sophomore grounded out to second base, scoring Ben Berczek, before an error by the first baseman brought home Coates for the final run of the game. 

Junior Scott Robison earned the win on the mound, pitching 0.2 innings of relief not giving up a hit. Ben Berczek registered his second save of the season, coming in for the final four innings to sit down three batters and giving up just one run. 

The men continue top-25 action on Sunday, March 13 back at home, taking on No. 8 Frostburg State University in a nine-inning game at Nationals Youth Baseball Academy in Washington D.C. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.