Box Score RADNOR. Pa. -- A ninth-inning rally came up just short for the Marymount University baseball team on Friday afternoon, as the Cabrini University Cavaliers escaped with a 6-5 win over the Saints.
In a battle at the top of the Atlantic East Conference leaderboard, MU got off to a hot start with a three-run first inning. Ryan Maylie got things started with a bases-loaded grounder that scored Casey Baker. Bryce Smith capped the effort with a two-run double down the right-field line that brought home Alex Lemery and James DiGiulian.
The Cavaliers responded in the bottom of the frame, however, and knotted the score at 3-3. The score remained knotted over the next four innings as Ryan Bergenhagen settled in on the mound. The senior allowed just four hits during the span and rang up four strikeouts. Despite Bergenhagen's best efforts, the Cavaliers managed to scratch across two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to seize a 5-3 advantage.
Marymount responded in the top of the seventh frame, as the Saints managed to tag Cabrini's Jonathan Baker for a run. Robby Cable was the dangerman and fired a single up the middle that scored Bobby Leitzel. The Cavaliers tacked on another run in the bottom of the stanza that set up a dramatic finish.
After Kyle Lewis worked a scoreless eighth inning, the Saints entered the ninth frame with a comeback mindset. With one out on the board, Ryan Lee brought the Saints back to within one with one crack of the bat. The junior swatted a home run to centerfield that made it a 6-5 score. MU was unable to generate the winning run it needed, however, as Baker managed to fend off the Saints final at-bats.
In a tough pitching matchup, Marymount finished with seven hits, as seven different hitters reached safely. Baker finished 1-for-3 with one walk and one run, while Smith registered a hit and finished with a game-high-tying two RBI.
Marymount closes out the regular season tomorrow afternoon with a doubleheader against the Cavaliers. Game one of the twinbill is set to begin at 2:30 p.m. Before the contest, MU will recognize its Class of 2021.
