New York University's baseball team (10-14, 4-9) opened the first game of a four-game UAA series against Case Western Reserve University (15-16, 4-9) on Friday, April 17, at the Staten Island University Hospital Community Park.
In a game full of offense, the Violets defeated the Spartans by a score of 12-10.
Kosta Mocklis responded to CWRU's four-run first inning with a solo shot over the fence to open NYU's scoring. Mocklis, the UAA's home run leader, hit his seventh of the season.
The Spartans extended their lead to 7-1 in the top half of the second, but again, NYU responded in the bottom of the frame, this time scoring seven runs to take its lead of the game.
The Violets, now trailing 9-8, regained the lead in the fifth inning thanks to
CJ Franchini's two-run double.
NYU's pitching and defense settled in after the first two innings, holding CWRU to just two runs in the next four innings.
Tied 10-10 in the bottom of the seventh, Franchini broke the deadlock by hitting a two-run shot to give NYU its largest lead of the game.
Ansel Balmer put together one of his best performances of the season, setting career highs in innings pitched (4.2) and strikeouts (7) to help NYU pick up the game one win.
Notable Stats:
- Mocklis has homered in three of the last four games
- Franchini in his first game back to action extended his hit streak to 11 games
- Balmer struck out four of the last six batters he faced
- NYU completed its largest comeback of the season
Up Next:
The Violets continue the four-game series against the Spartans tomorrow, April 18, in a doubleheader in Staten Island, New York.
