Box Score

St. Mary's City, Md. – St. Mary's College of Maryland exploded for five runs in the eighth inning to break open a tight game as the Seahawks posted a 9-3 victory over the Gallaudet University Bison to complete the series sweep on Sunday afternoon.

The Gallaudet defense unraveled in the eighth as the Bison gave up three bunt singles, including back-to-back bunts start off the inning, and then a passed ball and wild pitch allowed junior Matt Baden (Sunderland, Md./Huntingtown) to score, sparking the St. Mary's offense.  Senior Jacen Killebrew (La Plata, Md./La Plata) doubled to leftfield to drive in a pair of runs while junior Brad Shepherd (Columbia, Md./Oakland Mills) and senior Lyle Kralle (Great Mills, Md./Great Mills) each batted one run in.

First-year RHP Mike Bitanga (Rockville, Md./Good Counsel) picked up his second win of the season to improve to 2-0 as Bitanga pitched three innings of relief, yielding just one hit with two strikeouts.  Bitanga threw a three-up, three-down ninth inning to end the game.

St. Mary's (7-11, 4-5 CAC) connected on 11 hits on the day as Killebrew, Shepherd, junior Ian Simpson-Shelton (Upper Marlboro, Md./DeMatha) and sophomore Nick Urso (Newtown, Conn./Newtown) each connected on two hits to pace the Seahawk offense.

The Seahawks jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first as senior Justin Rabon (Charlotte Hall, Md./La Plata) scored on a Gallaudet error after leading off with a single.  Junior Bobby Corton (Owings Mills, Md./Calvert Hall) followed Rabon with a single of his own before stealing second and then scoring on an Urso single.

Gallaudet (0-13, 0-9 CAC) responded with a run of its own in the second inning as sophomore Ryan Hastings (Cherry Valley, Mass./Model Secondary) scored on a single by senior Chester Kuschmider (Olathe, Kans./Kansas) after leading off with a walk.

The Bison knotted the contest at 2-2 in the fourth as Hastings scored an unearned run following a St. Mary's error after Hastings led off with a single.

Gallaudet then staked a 3-2 lead in the sixth as first-year Yuri Johnston (Greensboro, N.C./Grimsley) scored on an RBI single by first-year Tommy Barksdale (Brookeville, Md./Sherwood) after Johnston connected on a two-out bunt single and then advanced twice on wild pitches.

St. Mary's reclaimed the lead in the seventh with two runs as Simpson-Shelton scored on a Bison error after leading off with a single.  Kralle crossed home plate for an unearned run on a sac fly by Rabon after reaching base on a Bison error.

The Seahawks hope to continue their winning ways this Wednesday, March 24 when St. Mary's hosts York (Pa.) College at the Hawk's Nest in Capital Athletic Conference action at 3:30.