YORK, Pa. – No. 10/10 Shenandoah University opened the 2017 York Regional with a 5-3 victory over Maritime (N.Y.) late Thursday night.
Shenandoah (37-8) scored two runs in the third, one in the fifth, one in the seventh and one in the eighth to win the opening game of a regional for the ninth time in as many trips to the NCAA playoffs.
The win puts the second-seeded Hornets into to a 7:45 contest Friday evening versus third-seeded Wheaton (Mass.). The Lyons defeated Elizabethtown 8-6 in the game immediately prior to the SU/Maritime contest.
Designated hitter Jake Loew had two of the RBI including the game-winner in the seventh. After Abel Arocho reached on a one-out single off of pitcher Anthony D'Ancona's glove and stole second to reach scoring position, Nick Goode put Arocho just 90 feet from the lead with a single through the left side.
Loew then grounded to third to bring home Arocho and give Shenandoah the lead for the first time in the game.
Steve Jones (2-1), the third of four Hornets pitchers, worked a 1-2-3 eighth to set Tyler Hott up for his program-record 10th save of the season.
Jones had come on with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh and got out the jam with a flyout to Arocho in right center.
Hott saw Maritime (26-12) load the bases with nobody out in the ninth, but closed the door by sandwiching two strikeouts around a fly into shallow center.
Tristan Baker, who also had two RBI, drove in the final run of the game with a single to center in the bottom of the eighth. Baker plated Jeff Silvestre, who had come on to run for Neil Dutton following Dutton's leadoff infield single.
Robert Marcelle sacrificed Silvestre to second before Baker laced the two-out single to center to chase D'Ancona (5-2).
Baker and Marcelle were also involved in the Hornets two-run third. Dutton led off that frame with a double to right and came home on a Baker line single to left. Marcelle, who had reached on a bunt single following Dutton's double, advanced to second on a groundout and third on Baker's single. He then scored on a wild pitch.
D'Ancona allowed five runs on 11 hits and two walks in 7 2/3 innings. He struck out two.
Jones was perfect in his inning and a third of work.
Dutton was 3-for-4 to lead the offense with Baker and Goode each getting two hits.
Luke Nussman finished 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 16 games.
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