JENKINTOWN, Pa. — The St. Elizabeth University baseball team put together a complete offensive effort on Wednesday afternoon, scoring in five different innings and holding off a late push to defeat Penn State Abington, 11-9, at Alverthorpe Park.
The Eagles pounded out 13 hits and used a pivotal four-run third inning to seize momentum on the road. St. Elizabeth improved to 3-10 on the season with the non-conference victory over the Nittany Lions.
St. Elizabeth's biggest swing came in the top of the third when Cameron Vicari launched a go-ahead grand slam to right field, driving in four runs and turning an early deficit into a 4-2 lead. The blast highlighted a strong afternoon for Vicari, who finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored and four RBI.
The Eagles continued to add on throughout the middle innings. In the fifth, Mark Nesler Jr. and Sam Porch Jr. delivered back-to-back extra-base hits, with Porch ripping a two-run double to right-center to extend the St. Elizabeth advantage.
At the plate, several Eagles turned in multi-hit performances:
- James Morello: 2-for-5, run scored, double, RBI
- Cameron Vicari: 2-for-5, home run, 4 RBI, 2 runs scored
- Mark Nesler Jr.: 2-for-3, double, 2 RBI, 2 runs scored
- Chris Povemba: 2-for-5, run scored
- Sam Porch Jr.: 1-for-4, double, 2 RBI, hit by pitch
As a team, St. Elizabeth totaled 11 runs, 13 hits, three doubles, and one home run.
On the mound, Quentin Torres got the start and worked 4.0 innings, allowing three runs (one earned) while striking out three. The Eagles then pieced together the win with a four-man bullpen effort. Jameson Riegel earned the victory in relief after tossing 1.1 innings, and Malcolm Solomon helped stabilize the game late with 2.0 strong innings, allowing just one hit while striking out three.
Penn State Abington threatened late, scoring two runs in the ninth, but St. Elizabeth closed the door to secure the win in a game that lasted 3:05.
