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Box Score 2 JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Tommy Toole (Manasaquan, N.J./Manasaquan) coaxed a bases-loaded, full-count-walk to plate the go-ahead run to lead Saint Peter's past Quinnipiac 5-4 in the second game of a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) baseball doubleheader on Sunday.
The Peacocks (1-10, 1-1 MAAC) came into the inning down 4-0, but Saint Peter's came storming back with five runs to earn the come-from-behind victory. After Rob Moore (Ridge, N.Y./Longwood) tied the game when he touched home on a wild pitch, the freshman Toole came up to the plate looking to be the hero. Toole, who was also looking for his first career hit, saw the previous two batters' hit with the pitch so was patient at the plate and worked the count full. The runners took off the pitched sailed outside called ball four to bring home Mike Ionta (Westfield, N.J./Westfield) with the decisive run.
Moore paced the Peacocks with four hits on the afternoon. Ionta and Jon Kristoffersen (Jefferson, N.J./Jefferson Township) each added two hits on the day.
Matthew Batten was the catalyst for the game one win for the Bobcats (3-13, 1-1 MAAC) with two hits and four stolen bases (five on the afternoon) while Vincent Guglietti added two runs and two stolen bases in the opener.
Quinnipiac used the momentum from the first game to jump out to a 4-0 lead only to see Saint Peter's storm back and earn the win.
With one out in the sixth, Kristoffersen singled to center field and Nick Ciocco (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill) reached on a bunt base hit trying to move Kristoffersen to second on a sacrifice bunt. Nick Henriquez (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) loaded the bases when he was hit by the pitch before Moore hit a laser line-drive single to center to bring home Kristoffersen and Ciocco to trim the margin to 4-2. After a nice diving catch by the center fielder for the second out, Ionata lined a pitch back through the box into center field to plate Henriquez and move the tying run to third base with two outs. The Bobcats then changed pitchers and on his the second pitched bounced the ball back to the backstop to plate Moore with the game-tying run. After James Spadaccini (Butler, N.J./Butler) and Kyle Grimes (Iselin, N.J./JFK Memorial) were both hit with a pitch, Toole coaxed a bases-loaded full-count walk to force home Ionta with the go-ahead run at 5-4.
The Bobcats started off with the first four runs of the game and the first run came in the first. Mike Palladino led off the game by being hit with a pitch, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third on a wild pitch. Saint Peter' nearly got out of the jam after inducing a groundout to short with the infield drawn in, but Guglietti doubled down the right field line to plate Palladino to give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead after the first inning.
The Peacocks nearly escaped without a run crossing the plate in the second, but timely hitting by Quinnipiac increased the lead advantage to three runs. Scott Donaghue singled to left and Noah Hahn found a hole in between second and center for a bloop single. After a sacrifice bunt moved both runners up a base, a drawn-in infield got Donaghue at home for the second out on a ground out, but Palladino doubled down the left field line to bring home two runs to increase the margin to 3-0.
Trickery helped the Bobcats add a run in the fourth. Donaghue walked and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. After an error put runners on the corners, Quinnipiac sent the runner at first, who got into a run down while Donaghue scored from third to increase the lead to 4-0, but the Peacocks rallied for the victory.
With the win, head coach T.J. Baxter picked up his first win as Saint Peter's head coach.
Quinnipiac took the opener 6-0 after scoring twice in the fourth, three times in the sixth and once in the eighth.
Batten opened the fourth with a slow-rolling single to shortstop and then stole second. After Guglietti walked, the duo successfully pulled off a double steal while the throw going to second went into the outfield attempting to get out Guglietti allowed Batten to touch home. Guglietti scored on a wild pitch to give Quinnipiac a 2-0 lead.
The speed of Batten played a role in the sixth for the Bobcats. After Batten hit a low-line drive single into left center, he stole second. Guglietti walked again and the duo successful stole second and third for the second time in three innings. Batten crossed the plate when Louis Ianotti reached on pop RBI single to left field that was lost in the sun by the Peacocks. Donaghue then added an RBI single to left field to plate Guglietti and Iannotti touched home on an RBI fielder's choice by Long to hand Quinnipiac a 5-0 lead.
Guglietti doubled deep off the right center field fence to open the eighth and then came across to score thanks to singles by John Bodenhamer and Donaghue to increase the advantage to 6-0.
Saint Peter's best chance to score came in the sixth. With one out, Grimes reached after being hit with a pitch before Henriquez hit an opposite-field single o right field. The Bobcats got out of the inning with a 1-6-3 double play to end the threat.
The two teams conclude the three-game set with a nine-inning game on Monday at Caven Point in Jersey City. First pitch is 12 p.m.
