MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Cairn University baseball team accumulated a 5-1 record, including wins in their last five games, in their spring break trip to Myrtle Beach at the Ripken Experience this past week.
After dropping their first game of the week to regional powerhouse University of Rochester on Monday by a score of 12-2, Cairn swept Dean College in a doubleheader on Tuesday to right the ship. The Highlanders won game one in walk-off fashion, when junior
Joe Greenwood (Wall, NJ / Calvary Academy) delivered the game-ending base hit into right-center field to score classmate
Dylan Fields (Yorktown, VA / Summit Christian Academy) to seal the victory.
In game two, the Highlanders handily dismissed the Bulldogs with a 13-0 thumping behind the arm of sophomore right-hander
Elijah Schooley (Horseheads, NY / Horseheads) who got the win over five scoreless innings, giving up just two hits and striking out five.
The Highlanders then went through an instant classic on Wednesday evening, dueling with Delaware Valley University over 12 innings deep into the night to claim a 15-14, extra-inning victory. After giving up five runs in the bottom of the ninth to let the Aggies back into the game (14-14), Cairn turned to a freshman arm in southpaw
Joseph Battaglia (Manasquan, NJ / Brentwood Academy), who turned in four scoreless innings to get the win, while giving up just one hit and striking out five. Cairn was led offensively by graduate student
Brian Amantia Jr. (Columbus, NJ / King's Christian), who posted a five-for-seven day at the plate with four runs scored and three RBIs. The Highlanders hammered four home runs in the contest, courtesy of Amantia, Greenwood, junior
Jake Arnoldy (West Grove, PA / Wilmington Christian School) and freshman
Tyler Warr (Langhorne, PA / Neshaminy). In the contest, Highlander senior
Joshua Melchior (Boyertown, PA / Valley Forge Baptist Academy) notched his 100th career collegiate base hit.
Cairn closed out its spring break trip with a commanding doubleheader sweep of Hilbert College, taking game one by a score of 14-7 and bested Hilbert in game two, 11-3. Amantia continued his torrid offensive pace against Hilbert, slashing a grand slam and a career-high six RBIs in game one to lead the Highlanders, while graduate student
Ben Spadea (Yardley, PA / Pennsbury) earned the win after putting forth 4.2 innings in relief, scattering three hits, one run and three k's. In game two, the Highlanders were paced offensive by Greenwood and senior
Caleb Edman (Nokesville, VA / Northern Virginia Community College) who tied team-highs with three hits a-piece, while senior
Dom Maglione (Hamilton, NJ / Steinert) got his first career win after tossing five innings, scattering six hits and three runs (two earned) before junior
Cameron Culver (Croydon, PA / Truman) closed the game with two scoreless innings.
Cairn will be back in action on Wednesday, March 16 when it hits the road to take on non-conference foe Centenary University (NJ) in Hackettstown at 3:30 p.m.
