University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
  Men's Baseball   
Stories & Highlights
2007-08 season 

Curry Records 100th Career Hit as Devils Drop Season Finale (5/3/08)

Michael Curry became just the tenth player in school history to record 100 career hits as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia baseball team closed out their season with a 9-6 loss to Dominican College Saturday at Richie Ashburn Field in Philadelphia.

USP finishes the season with an 11-34 overall record and a 7-20 record in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games. The Devils 11 wins are six more than last year’s total and the most since the 2003 season. Dominican improves to 26-23 overall and finishes with an 18-9 conference record.

Curry (St. Pius X HS/Collegeville, Pa.) entered the game two hits shy of the century mark. The senior rightfielder cracked a single in his first at-bat, walked his next time up and singled again in the sixth to reach the mark. Michael added a third hit to finish the day with a 3-for-4 effort, giving him 61 hits for the season, a school record. His three hits also raised his average to .415, the first USP player to hit .400 or better since Brian Greene hit .456 in 2001.

Senior Phil Maher (Norristown HS/Norristown, Pa.) hit his team leading third home run of the season, a two run shot in the sixth. Coupled with a sacrifice fly in the third, Maher finished the game with three RBI. Freshmen Mark Perry(Toms River South HS/Toms River, N.J.) and Pete LaRocco (Gloucester Catholic HS/Sewell, N.J.) each went 2-for-4 with RBI doubles.

Dominican got on the board in the third inning as Jonathan Ryan led off the inning with a double and moved to third on the sacrifice bunt by Robert Iglesias. A sacrifice fly ball to left field by Jason Berrios plated Ryan and gave DC a 1-0 lead.

The Devils tied the game in the bottom stanza on a sacrifice fly by Maher.

The Chargers broke the tie with a three-run fifth inning as Willie Mann and Ryan led off the inning with back-to-back singles. A second sacrifice bunt by Iglesias moved the runners and a double by Berrios scored both runners. An RBI single by Sean Brown gave DC a 4-1 lead.

Dominican added to the lead in the sixth as Marc Mortellaro led off the inning with a single and then stole second base. He came in to score on the triple by shortstop Mario Lopez. A batter later, Mann doubled in Lopez and Ryan followed with a single. Ryan later scored on a wild pitch and Dan Robinson reached on a USP error, which allowed Iglesias to score. Brown's sacrifice fly ball scored Berrios and gave DC a 9-1 lead.

The Devils rebounded with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Curry singled to start the inning and raced home from first on Perry’s double with Perry taking third on the throw home. LaRocco followed with a double to score Perry and make the score 9-3.

In the seventh, sophomore Dustin Gill (Delone Catholic HS/Hanover, Pa.) doubled to lead off the inning and later scored on a wild pitch. Curry laced a two-out single for his third hit of the day before Maher cracked his two-run home run to left field to make the score 9-6.

Junior Pete McCauley (Northwestern Lehigh HS/New Tripoli, Pa.) took the loss to finish the season with a 1-3 record. DJ Stinsman picked up the win for the Chargers with Jack Crawford earning the save.

Dominican Sweeps Doubleheader from USP (5/2/08)

The University of the Sciences baseball team kicked off their final weekend of the season as host Dominican College took both games of their doubleheader in Orangeburg, New York, 9-0 and 4-1.

The two losses drop the Devils record to 11-33 overall and 7-19 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games. Dominican improves to 25-23 overall and 17-9 in league games.

In the nightcap, the Devils scored a run in the first as junior Pete McCauley (Northwestern Lehigh HS/New Tripoli, PA) led off the inning with a double to left center, moved to third on the sacrifice bunt and scored on a wild pitch to take a 1-0 lead.

DC took a 2-1 lead in the fifth as Marc Mortellaro led off the inning with a solo blast over the left field fence. Willie Mann followed with an infield single, moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by Jason Berrios and scored on the two out double to left field to plate Mann.

The Chargers added two runs in the sixth on the RBI triple to center field by Jonathan Ryan to score Michael Munoz who led off the inning with a single. Ryan came in to score on a wild pitch to give DC a 4-1 lead and eventual victory.

Tom Kahl got the complete game victory (5-2), allowing one run on four hits and 10 strikeouts. Freshman hurler Adam Kissinger (Egg Harbor Township HS/Egg Harbor Township, NJ) took the loss for the Devils

In the opener, DC took a 2-0 lead in the first as Dan Robinson got a one out single to center, moved to second on a hit batter and went to third on a fielder's choice. He came in on the RBI single to center by Mortellaro. Mario Lopez lined the next pitch to center field for an RBI single to score Tommy Maloney who had reached on a fielder's choice.

The Chargers added a two runs in the third as Sean Brown led off the inning with a triple to left field and scored on a fly ball to the second basemen by Mortellaro which carried him into foul territory. Maloney, who had received a free pass earlier, came in to score on the infield single by catcher Robert Iglesias as Dominican took a 4-0 lead.

Maloney’s three-run home run highlighted a five run sixth that made the final score 9-0.

Freshman Tim Summers (Urbana HS/Monrovia, Md.) took the loss, allowing seven runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings of work. Charger starter Michael Mondesir got the complete game shut out win scattering just two hits and four Devil strikeouts.

Streaks Continue as Devils are Swept by Cougars (4/26/08)

Senior outfielder Michael Curry recorded a hit in each of the Devils' games of Saturday, extending his consecutive games reaching base streak to 30 straight games and his hitting streak to four games as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia men's baseball team lost both games to Caldwell College, 8-4 and 9-4 at Richie Ashburn Field in Philadelphia.

The two losses extend the Devils losing streak to five games and drop their overall record to 10-30 and their record in CACC games to 6-16. Caldwell, ranked 5th in the NCBWA Northeast Region poll, improves to 26-15 overall and 16-8 in league games.

Curry (St. Pius X HS/Collegeville, Pa.) delivered a one-out single in the third inning of the first game and later scored USP's first run and had an RBI single in the second game for his only hits of the day. The senior outfielder has now reached base( via a hit, walk, hit by pitch or error) in 30 consecutive games and 39 of USP's 40 games this year. Curry has recorded a hit in 26 of the 30 games during his current streak.

The Cougars struck first in Game 1, with Jon Irwin driving in Omar Velazquez with a single in the top of the second for a 1-0 lead. The Devils tied the game in the bottom of the second on an RBI single from freshman first baseman Mark Perry(Toms River South HS/Toms River, N.J.), only to have Caldwell regain the lead with two runs in the top of the third. Velazquez doubled home Chris Chiarappa then later scored on an error for a 3-1 lead.

The Devils came back with a run in the third and two more in the fourth, all unearned, to close the gap to 4-3. In the third, Curry singled and moved to third on a pair of Caldwell errors. Junior second baseman Pete McCauley (Northwestern Lehigh HS/New Tripoli, Pa.) then lofted a sacrifice fly to score Curry. In the fourth, the Devils had runners on first and second with two out when freshman designated hitter Pete LaRocco (Gloucester Catholic HS/Sewell, N.J.) singled. Both runners eventually scored on a throwing error by the Caldwell centerfielder, cutting the lead to one.

In the top of the fifth, Chiarappa tied the game with a lead-off home run, then Velazquez followed with a solo shot to put Caldwell ahead 5-4. Still in the fifth, Edgar Santos tripled, then scored on a grounder by Doug Hilgenberg to put Caldwell on top 6-4. Velazquez tripled and later scored on a wild pitch as part of a two-run seventh that gave the Cougars an 8-4 lead.

Perry had two of the Devils five hits in the opener. Freshman Tim Summers (Urbana HS/Monrovia, Md.) took the loss falling to 5-4 on the season. Robert Casal earned the win for the Cougars.

In game two, Caldwell jumped out to a 5-0 advantage with runs in the first three innings. The Cougars took a 1-0 lead on a run-scoring single by Ray Keelan in the top of the first. After Hilgenberg scored an unearned run in the second, the Cougars put three runs on the board in the third. Chiarappa tripled home Keelan, then scored on a double by Aaron Hoffstatter. Hoffstatter came home on Hilgenberg's single for a 5-0 Cougar lead.

Curry singled to score sophomore outfielder Dustin Gill (Delone Catholic HS/Hanover, Pa.) with the Devils first run in the bottom of the third. Both teams exchanged runs in the fourth and the Cougars added three more in the fifth to jump out to a 9-2 lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, freshman Steve Rossi (Bishop Ahr HS/Somerset, N.J.) tripled and LaRocco walked to start the inning. Curry flied out to rightfield, scoring Rossi and allowing Michael Kleinschmidt (St. Mark's HS/Newark, Del.), who came in to run for LaRocco to move to second. Kleinschmidt then came around to score on senior Phil Maher's (Norristown HS/Norristown, Pa.) single to make the score 9-4 and complete the scoring on the afternoon.

Rossi had two of the Devils seven hits in game two. Freshman Adam Kissinger (Egg Harbor Twp. HS/Egg Harbor, Township, N.J.) took the loss for the Devils. Omar Velazquez picked up the win for the Cougars.

The Devils have five games remaining on their schedule. Two will be at Bloomfield College on Monday, April 28, 2008 - weather permitting. The final three will be on May 3rd and 4th against Dominican College. USP will play a single game at Dominican on May 3rd and host a doubleheader at Richie Ashburn Field against the Chargers on May 4th.

Nationally Ranked Golden Rams Defeat Devils (4/24/08)

Nationally ranked West Chester University banged out 20 hits as the defeated the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia baseball team 12-2 Thursday afternoon at Richie Ashburn Field in Philadelphia.

The Golden Rams, ranked #14 in the most recent Collegiate Baseball poll and 16trh in the NCBWA (college baseball writers) poll, improved to 37-9 on the season. The Devils fall to 10-26 overall.

WCU's Chris Ott held the Devils without a hit until the seventh inning, pitching a complete game. Ott allowed just four hits and struck out 13 USP batters. Frank Nunan had four hits and Nick Spisak three to pace the Golden Rams. Drew Pare and Brandon Wolfe also had three hits each as eight of West Chester's nine batters got at least one hit on the afternoon.

Junior pitcher Pete McCauley (Northwestern Lehigh HS/New Tripoli, Pa) took the loss for the Devils, falling to 1-2 on the season. McCauley lasted 4 2/3 innings, giving up 14 hits and seven runs (3 earned) while striking out two. Freshman Jarrad Gustin (Central Dauphin HS/ Harrisburg, Pa.) relieved McCauley in the fifth and pitched three innings, giving up five runs. Freshman Pete LaRocco (Gloucester Catholic HS/Sewell, N.J.)pitched the final inning and 1/3.

West Chester scored twice each in the second and third innings to take a 4-0 lead and added three more in the fourth to jump out to a 7-0 lead. The Devils meanwhile could not figure out Ott as he recorded six strikeouts in the first four innings, not allowing a single Devil to reach base.

Senior Phil Maher (Norristown HS/Norristown, Pa.) broke the streak in the fifth, reaching on an error and advancing on a walk to junior Kittle (Camden Catholic HS/Maple Shade, N.J.) before sophomore Mark Forbes (Salesianum HS/Hockessin, Del.) grounded into a double play to end any threat. Two innings later, the Devils got their first hits, a double by LaRocco to lead off the inning and a single by Maher. both runners were left stranded as freshman Mark Perry (Toms River South HS/Toms River, N.J.) and Kittle struck out to end the inning.

The Golden Rams sent nine men to the plate in the eighth inning, pounding out six hits (four doubles) to boost their lead to 12-0. USP finally got on the board in the ninth inning. Freshman Steve Rossi (Bishop Ahr HS/Somerset, N.J.) led off with a single. Senior Michael Curry (St. Pius X HS/Collegeville, Pa.) drew a walk as did Maher to load the bases. Perry then walked to score Rossi and Kittle had a single to score Curry. Forbes then grounded into an around the horn double play to end the game.

USP returns to action on Friday, April 25, 2008 when they face Columbia Union College in a non conference double header at Richie Ashburn Field. First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m.

Devils Hang on to Defeat Deacons (4/22/08)

Pete LaRocco drove in three runs and freshman Zach Noel picked up his first win of the season as the Devils hung on for a 4-3 win over Bloomfield College in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference baseball game at Richie Ashburn field Tuesday afternoon in Philadelphia.

The win improves the Devils record to 10-25 overall and 6-14 in CACC games. Bloomfield falls to 14-29 overall and 5-13 in league play. With the win, the Devils have doubled their total win output and their conference win total from the 2007 season.

Noel (Delone Catholic HS/Littlestown, Pa.) pitched 7 2/3 innings, giving up eight hits and three runs while striking out four to improve to 1-4 on the season. Jon Walsh took the loss for the Deacons, dropping to 0-3 on the year.

LaRocco (Gloucester Catholic HS/Sewell, N.J.) had a double and a triple as the Devils scored two runs in the third and another two in the fourth inning to take a 4-1 lead. The freshman designated hitter tripled in the third inning as freshman Steve Rossi (Bishop Ahr HS/Somerset, N.J.) scored to tie the game at 1-1. Freshman third baseman Mark Perry (Toms River South HS/Toms River, N.J.) then singled to score LaRocco.

In the fourth, LaRocco delivered a two-out double to score sophomore catcher Mark Forbes (Salesianum HS/Hockessin, Del.) from third and Rossi from first to give the Devils a 4-1 lead.

The score remained 4-1 until the top of the eighth when Noel loaded the bases with two out. Jonathan Moehlig then hit a grounder to the shortstop Rossi who threw the ball away for a two-base error, allowing Bloomfield to pull within one with a pair of unearned runs, 4-3. Senior pitcher Phil Maher (Norristown HS/Norristown, Pa.) relieved Noel and got the next batter to groundout to end the threat.

Bloomfield’s Alex Munoz reached on an error by Perry to lead of the ninth but was promptly thrown out by Forbes trying to steal second. Maher then retired the next two batters to preserve the win and earn his second save of the season.

USP returns to action with a single game against West Chester University on Thursday, April 24, 2008 at Richie Ashburn Field. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.

Curry Sets Hit Record but Devils Lose Two (4/21/08)

Michael Curry broke USP baseball's single season hit record in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader against Post University. The Eagles however spoiled the celebration by defeating the Devils 2-0 and then went on to complete the doubleheader sweep with a 6-4 win in the nightcap.

The two losses drop the Devils record to 9-25 overall and 5-14 in Central atlantic Collegiate Conference games. Post improves to 14-21 overall and 6-9 in league play.

Curry (St. Pius X HS/Collegeville, Pa.) entered the game with 46 hits on the season, tied with Justin DeVincenzo who had set the record back in 2006. After reaching on a fielder's choice his first at-bat, Curry led off the fourth inning with a single to right field to break DeVincenzo's mark. The hit also extended his hitting streak to a school record 17 games. Curry's hit was one of only three the Devils would get in the game as Post scored solo runs in the first and third innings to win 2-0.

In the nightcap, Curry saw his hitting streak come to an end as he went 0-for-3 as the Devils lost 6-4. Michael did reach base in the fifth inning when he was hit by a pitch and has now reached base in 25 straight games- also a school record. This season, the senior outfielder has reached base in 33 of USP's 34 games.

The Devils made the score 5-2 as Maher singled home junior second baseman Pete McCauley (Northwestern Lehigh HS/New Tripoli, Pa) in the fifth. A triple by Post's Johnny Figueroa gave the Eagles a four-run lead 6-2 before the Devils made a rally attempt in their last at-bat.

McCauley doubled to lead off the seventh and later scored on an infield error. Freshman third baseman Mark Perry (Toms River South HS/Toms River, N.J.) singled to right field with two-out to score Maher and make the score 6-4 but was retired on a fielder's choice to end the game as Post prevailed 6-4.

Thompson took the loss, falling to 1-6 on the season. Ben Schoenburg (4-1) got the win for the Eagles. McCauley (2 hits) and Perry (3) had five of the Devils seven hits in the game. The Eagles were led by Eric Rovinetti's three hits. Figueroa and Jose Reyes had two hits apiece.

Sophomore Brandon Boucher (Washington Township HS/Sewell, N.J.) took the loss in the opener while Michael Wolfe got the win.

The Devils return home with a single game on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 against Bloomfield College. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.

Another Ninth Inning Rally Dooms Devils (4/20/08)

Post University rallied for three runs in their final at-bat as they defeated the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia 6-5 in the first game of their three-game series at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury, Connecticut Saturday afternoon.

The loss, USP’s second straight ninth inning defeat, drops the Devils record to 9-23 overall and 5-12 in Central Atlantic Collegiate conference games. Post improves to 12-21 overall and 4-9 in league play.

The Devils banged out just six hits on the afternoon with senior Michael Curry (St. Pius X HS/Collegeville, Pa.) and freshman Steve Rossi (Bishop Ahr HS/Somerset, N.J.) getting two apiece. Rossi also drove in three of the Devils five runs while Curry added a single RBI. With his two hits, Curry extended his team-best hitting streak to 16 games. Freshman Tim Summers (Urbana HS/Monrovia, Md.) took the loss for the Devils, falling to 5-3 on the season.

The Eagles trailed 5-3 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, but scored three runs, with no outs, in their last at-bat to take the first game of the series. Second baseman Dan Luisi was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, then stole second, and scored, when Corey Huffine laced a double down the left field line, to cut the lead to 5-4, his fifth hit of the day. Huffine extended his hitting streak to 11 games with his 5-for-5 effort.

Post tied it at 5-5, when Huffine scored from second, on Eric Rovinetti’s infield single. Rovinetti then went to second on an infield throwing error. Johnny Figueroa sent Rovinetti over to third, with a bunt base hit to first base, putting runners at the corners for Jim Conto. The first baseman ended the game with a single to the left field corner, plating Rovinetti and giving the Eagles the win.

Huffine gave the Eagles their first run of the afternoon, in the bottom of the first inning. He singled to left, then went to second on a stolen base, and advanced to third on a groundout by Rovinetti. Figueroa then reached on an error, which allowed Huffine to score and give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.

USP scored three runs in the top of the second inning, as they loaded the bases with one out. Walks to freshmen Mark Perry (Toms River South HS/Toms River, N.J.) and Pete LaRocco (Gloucester Catholic HS/Sewell, N.J.) started the inning. Senior Chris Longo (Cherry Hill East HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) sacrificed the runners over and sophomore Dustin Gill (Delone Catholic HS/Hanover, Pa.) singled to load the bases. Rossi then roped a double down the left field line, to clear the bases, but was thrown out at third, trying to extended it into a triple.

The Eagles got one of those runs back in the bottom of the second inning, as Huffine laced an RBI-single to right field to make the score 3-2. The Devils added an unearned run in the top of the seventh inning, but a double by Donnie Dlabola down the right field line, knocked in Conto, who was hit by a pitch to leadoff the inning. Curry added an RBI-single in the top of the ninth inning, to give the USP a 5-3 lead, before the Eagles won the game with the three runs in their last at-bat.

Tim McCarthy, who pitched to just one batter in the ninth inning, picked up the win in relief of Brendan Wyman. Freshman Adam Kissinger (Egg Harbor Township HS/Egg Harbor, N.J.) started for the Devils, pitching six innings and giving up two runs (one earned), ten hits while striking out two. Summers relieved Kissinger midway through the seventh and gave up the final four runs.

The Devils will conclude their series with a doubleheader Sunday April 20, 2008, afternoon, at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury.

Ninth Inning Errors Send Devils Home with a Loss (4/17/08)

Two ninth inning errors turned a 4-2 lead into a 5-4 loss for the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia baseball team as Caldwell College rallied for three runs in their final at-bat to defeat the Devils Thursday evening at Smith Field in Parsippany, New Jersey.

The loss drops the Devils to 9-22 overall and 5-11 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games. Caldwell improves to 20-13 overall and 12-6 in league play.

Trailing 4-2 entering the bottom of the ninth when they put their first two runners on base. A failed pickoff attempt at second by USP pitcher Pete McCauley (Northwestern Lehigh HS/New Tripoli, Pa) sailed into the outfield, allowing the runners to advance. Two batters later, Omar Velazquez delivered a one-out two-run single off sophomore Gary Thompson (Timber Creek HS/ Sicklerville, N.J.) to tie the game at 4-4. Adric Saxon followed with a single before Thompson struck out Ray Keelan for the second out. Both runners then attempted a double steal and catcher Mark Forbes' (Salesianum HS/Hockessin, Del.) throw to third went into left field allowing Velazquez to score the winning run.

One inning earlier the Devils broke a 2-2 tie as senior Michael Curry (St. Pius X HS/Collegeville, Pa.) singled with two out and fellow senior Phil Maher (Norristown HS/Norristown, Pa.) delivered a two-run home run, his second of the season.

Freshman Pete LaRocco (Gloucester Catholic HS/Sewell, N.J.) drove in the other two USP runs with a single in the seventh inning and a solo home run, his second of the season in the fifth.

Caldwell jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI single by Edgar Santos. After LaRocco's home run in the top of the fifth put the Devils back on top 2-1, Saxon delivered a sacrifice fly RBI in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at 2-2 until Maher's home run broke the tie in the seventh.

Thompson (1-6) took the loss for the Devils. Buddy Riggs (2-4) pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn the win in relief for the Cougars.

LaRocco and Curry had two hits apiece for the Devils. Curry extended his hitting streak to a school-record 15 games.

The Devils return to action on Saturday, April 19, 2008 with a single game at Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut at 2:00 p.m. USP will conclude the season series with the Eagles with a doubleheader at Post on Sunday.

Devils Walk Away with a Victory (4/15/08)

Freshman Mark Perry drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 13th inning, scoring David Kittle with the winning run as the Devils rallied to defeat Felician College 8-7 Tuesday afternoon at Richie Ashburn Field in Philadelphia and salvage one win in the three-game series.

The win improves the Devils record to 9-20 overall and 5-9 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games. Felician falls to 15-16 overall and 8-6 in league play.

Freshman Tim Summers (Urbana HS/Monrovia, Md.) pitched the final seven innings to pick up his league-leading fifth win of the season. Summers gave up three runs while striking out seven. Kittle (Camden Catholic HS/Maple Shade, N.J.), a junior, had three hits as did senior Michael Curry (St. Pius X HS/Collegeville, Pa.). Junior Michael Kleinschmidt (St. Mark’s HS/Newark, Del.) drove in three runs.

John Calise (2-2) took the loss for the Golden Falcons, giving up two runs and four walks in 1 1/3 innings of work. Mickey Zudonyi had four hits while Hector Bello added three. Mike Libretta paced Felician with three RBI.

As darkness approached, Kittle and Curry singled to start the Devils rally in the bottom of the 13th inning. Freshman Jarrad Gustin (Central Dauphin HS/ Harrisburg, Pa.) sacrificed the runners into scoring position and sophomore Mark Forbes (Salesianum HS/Hockessin, Del.) was walked intentionally to set up a possible double play with Perry (Toms River South HS/Toms River, N.J.) at the plate. Perry worked the count to 3-1 before Calise's last pitch missed the strike zone putting Perry on base and allowing Kittle to trot home with the winning run.

Felician took a 7-6 lead in their half of the 12th as Bello doubled home Dave Schoer with the potential winning run. However the Devils had other plans, producing a two out rally that kept the game going. Freshman Steve Rossi (Bishop Ahr HS/Somerset, N.J.) and senior Chris Longo (Cherry Hill East HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) drew two-out walks. Freshman Adam Kissinger (Egg Harbor Township HS/Egg Harbor, N.J.) then pinch-hit for Kleinschmidt and drilled a 3-2 pitch into left-center field for a base hit. Rossi sped around third and scored the tying run to send the game into the 13th.

It was another USP rally that sent the game into extra frames. Trailing 6-3 and batting in the bottom of the eighth inning, scoring three runs all without the benefit of a hit. With Jeff Calabrese pitching, Curry walked to start the inning and freshman Pete LaRocco (Gloucester Catholic HS/Sewell, N.J.), pinch hitting for junior Pete McCauley (Northwestern Lehigh HS/New Tripoli, Pa), also drew a walk. Forbes sacrificed the two runners into scoring position and Perry walked to load the bases. Rossi then walked to score Curry. Joe Brescia, the CACC saves leader, then took to the mound to replace Calabrese. Brescia walked Longo and hit Kleinschmidt with a pitch to bring home the tying runs.

The Golden Falcons scored three times in the seventh and once more in the eighth to erase a 3-1 USP lead. Felician got an RBI single from Zudonyi and another single from Libretta driving in two runs in the seventh while Vinnie DiBenedetti delivered a RBI single in the eighth.

Libretta also doubled home Felician's first run of the game in the first inning giving the Golden Falcons an early 1-0 lead. Kittle doubled in the bottom of the first and scored on Curry's RBI single to tie the game and USP took the lead on Kleinschmidt's one-out, two RBI single in the second.

The Devils return to action on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 when they travel to area rival Philadelphia University for the rubber game of this year's three game series. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.

Revamped Lineup Provides Spark as Devils Split (4/12/08)

Pete LaRocco and Dustin Gill drove in two runs apiece and Pete McCauley pitched a complete game as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia baseball team came out with a revamped lineup and ended a four-game losing streak with a 7-3 win over Nyack College in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader at Ashburn Field in Philadelphia.

The win improves the devils record to 8-18 overall and 4-7 in Central Atlantic Collegiate conference games. Nyack falls to 7-17 overall and 5-7 in league play.

After losing the opener 7-1, USP’s third straight loss by five or more runs, Head Coach Frank Angeloni made changes in his lineup for the nightcap, playing several of his younger players over some of the upperclassman. The players responded as a quartet of freshman drove in five of the Devils’ seven runs with the sophomore Gill driving in the other two.

Gill (Delone Catholic HS/Hanover, Pa.) had two hits in the game as did freshman Steve Rossi (Bishop Ahr HS/Somerset, N.J.) and fellow freshman LaRocco (Gloucester Catholic HS/Sewell, N.J.). McCauley (Northwestern Lehigh HS/New Tripoli, Pa) went the distance to even his record at 1-1, striking out three while giving up nine hits and not walking a batter.

Cody Levins had three hits for the Warriors while Oscar Ortiz had two. Taylor Gretzke took the loss. Levins, Christian Almonte and Jon Raebig each drove in a run.

Nyack jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning but the Devils rallied with three runs in the bottom the inning to take a 3-2 lead. LaRocco doubled with two runners on and nobody out to score the first Devil’s run. Three batters later, Gill laced a two-out double, driving in two more runs to give the Devils their first lead of the game.

The Warriors tied the game at 3-3 in the third but the Devils struck again in the fourth to take the lead for good. Freshman Mark Perry (Toms River South HS/Toms River, N.J.) delivered a one-out double to score LaRocco who had walked. Freshman Adam Kissinger (Egg Harbor Township HS/Egg Harbor, N.J.) then singled to score Perry and give the Devils a 5-3 lead. The Devils added solo runs in the fifth and sixth innings to provide the 7-3 winning margin. In the fifth, the Devils loaded the bases for LaRocco who delivered a single to score Rossi from third. Rossi delivered his first career triple in the sixth to score Gill with the final run.

In the opener, the Devils had nine hits; all singles as Derrick Gamble limited USP to just one run in the Warriors 7-1 win. Levins and Dan Marshall each drove in two for Nyack. Sophomore Gary Thompson (Timber Creek HS/ Sicklerville, N.J.) took the loss for USP, giving up five runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings of work.

USP’s lone run came in the third as LaRocco singled home McCauley to make the score 5-1 in favor of Nyack at the time. The Warriors added to more in the seventh to make the final 7-1.

The Devils return to action on Monday, April 14, 2008 when face Felician College in a doubleheader at Ashburn Field. This game was originally scheduled on April 5, 2008 but was postponed due to weather. USP will face the Golden Falcons again on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 - also at Ashburn. Monday’s games are set to start at 2:30 p.m. with Tuesday’s single game set for 3:30 p.m.

USP Rally Falls Short as West Chester Wins (4/9/08)

A late inning rally fell one run short as West Chester University captured their fifth Bill Giles Invitational championship 7-6 win over the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia baseball team Tuesday afternoon at Citizen’s Bank Park in south Philadelphia.

The Golden Rams, ranked #8 nationally in the NCBWA poll (3/25) improved to 30-4 overall. USP falls to 7-15.

The Devils had jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the fourth only to have West Chester put up five runs in the seventh to take a 7-4 lead. USP scored twice in the eighth and threatened again in the ninth before West Chester finally put them away.

In the eighth, senior Michael Curry (St. Pius X HS/Collegeville, Pa.) led off with a single and came around to score on junior David Kittle’s (Camden Catholic HS/Maple Shade, N.J.) long double down the line in left field. Two batters later, Kittle raced home on an infield throwing errors to pull the Devils within one. In the ninth, pinch hitter Brian Scott (Cornwall Central HS/ Cornwall, N.Y.) drew a walk to lead off the inning. Sophomore Dustin Gill (Delone Catholic HS/Hanover, Pa.) replaced him on the base paths and later stole second. Gill reached third on freshman Steve Rossi’s (Bishop Ahr HS/Somerset, N.J.) infield groundout, putting the tying run just 90 feet away with only one out. Gill however was stranded at third as Curry fouled out on a nice over the shoulder catch by WCU first baseman Blair Dameron down the left field line to end the game.

West Chester had taken the 7-4 lead by scoring five runs on three hits in the seventh as Nick Spisak doubled to lead off the inning and scored on a sacrifice fly and Bob Stumpo’s double added two more runs. A USP infield error contributed another run and Jake Griesemer’s single brought home Kevin McGrath with the fifth Golden Ram run of the inning. Griesemer’s was subsequently thrown out trying to extend his single an extra base and one batter later the Devils were out of the inning.

The Golden Rams did threaten in the ninth but a great play by Kittle in left on Griesemer’s single, relaying a throw in to Rossi and then to catcher, senior Phil Cox, (Riverside HS/Riverton, N.J.) nailed Connor Thorp at the plate for the third out.

USP scored four times in the fourth as Curry led off with a walk and advanced on a wild pitch. Senior Phil Maher (Norristown HS/Norristown, Pa.) followed with a single, scoring Curry with the first Devil run. Freshman Pete LaRocco (Gloucester Catholic HS/Sewell, N.J.) reached on a fielders choice as Maher went to third on an error. Freshman Mark Perry (Toms River South HS/Toms River, N.J.), followed with a single to score Maher. Both runners advanced on a second WCU wild pitch and later came around on sophomore Mark Forbes’ (Salesianum HS/Hockessin, Del.) double, chasing West Chester starter Mike Cope out of the game and giving USP a 4-2 lead. Greg Ball came in to pitch and shut the Devils down until their rally in the late innings.

Ball earned the win for West Chester. Sophomore Gary Thompson (Timber Creek HS/ Sicklerville, N.J.), one of seven USP pitchers used in the game, took the loss, giving up four runs in 1 1/3 innings of work. Perry and Forbes each had two hits for the Devils, who finished the game with seven, including two for extra-bases. West Chester also had seven hits with Spisak and Stumpo recording two doubles apiece. Spisak also had three stolen bases while Stumpo drove in three runs.

USP returns to conference play on Thursday, April 10, 2008 when they host Wilmington University in a Central Atlantic collegiate conference doubleheader at Ashburn field. First pitch is at 1:30 p.m.

Devils Rally to Defeat Griffins (4/4/08)

Freshmen Jarrad Gustin and Adam Kissinger combined for a two-hitter as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia baseball team rallied from a 3-1 deficit with six runs in the eighth inning to defeat host Chestnut Hill College 7-3 Thursday at Hostelley Field in North Wales, Pennsylvania.

The win, USP's second straight, improves their record to 7-14 overall and 3-4 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games. Chestnut Hill falls to 5-13 overall and 3-2 in league play. The Griffins did win the season series two games to one over the Devils.

The Devils banged out ten hits with junior Pete McCauley (Northwestern Lehigh HS/New Tripoli, Pa.) and freshmen Steve Rossi (Bishop Ahr HS/Somerset, N.J.) and Mark Perry (Toms River South HS/Toms River, N.J.) recording two hits apiece. Gustin (Central Dauphin HS/ Harrisburg, Pa.) started and pitched 5 1/3 innings giving up just one hit, all three Griffin runs while striking out three and walking eight. Kissinger (Egg Harbor Township HS/Egg Harbor Township, N.J.) came in to get the win in relief, giving up just one hit in 3 2/3 innings while striking out four and improving his record to 1-2.

Tommy Walton took the loss for the Griffins, falling to 2-3 on the season.

Trailing, 3-1 entering the eighth inning, the Devils sent ten batters to the plate, scoring six times to take a 7-3 lead. Senior Michael Curry (St. Pius X HS/Collegeville, Pa.) reached base on an infield error to start the inning. Senior Phil Maher (Norristown HS/Norristown, Pa.) was hit by a pitch and freshman Pete LaRocco (Gloucester Catholic HS/Sewell, N.J.) singled to load the bases and end Walton's night pitching. Perry followed with a single off relief pitcher Nick DeMalto, scoring Curry. Maher then scored on a single by sophomore Mark Forbes (Salesianum HS/Hockessin, Del.) and LaRocco then scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error which also allowed Perry and Forbes to advance. After two strikeouts, Rossi delivered a two-out single to score Perry. Forbes then scored on a wild pitch. McCauley followed with an infield single as Rossi came around to score on the third Griffin error of the inning, making the score 7-3.

Chestnut Hill loaded the bases without a hit in the bottom of the eighth before Kissinger struck out Andrew Donofry and got Kevin Dumicich to pop out to second baseman McCauley to end the threat. The Griffins loaded the bases again on an error and two walks in the ninth with two out before Mike Knipe flied out to Curry in right to end the game.

The Devils got their first run on an RBI single by McCauley in the fifth inning, scoring senior Chris Longo (Cherry Hill East HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) to cut the score to 2-1 at the time.

USP returns to action this weekend with a three-game home and home set against Felician College. The Devils will play the first two games against the Golden Falcons at Smith Field in Parsippany, New Jersey on Saturday, April 5, 2008 and return home to Ashburn Field for the final game on Sunday, April 6, 2008. Games start at 1:00 p.m. on both days.

Bats Come Alive as Devils Defeat Wildcats (4/1/08)
USP to play in Bill Giles Invitational Championship at Citizen’s Bank Park

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia baseball team pounded out 16 hits as they defeated Wilmington University 13-5 Tuesday afternoon in the opening game of the 8th Annual Bill Giles Invitational at Wilson Field in Wilmington, Delaware.

USP will now face West Chester University in Bill Giles Invitational championship game, played at Citizen’s Bank Park on Tuesday, April 8, 2008 at 4:00 p.m. The Devils improve to 6-14 overall and 2-3 in league play. Wilmington falls to 7-14 overall and 1-1 in league play.

Senior Michael Curry (St. Pius X HS/Collegeville, Pa.) and junior Pete McCauley (Northwestern Lehigh HS/New Tripoli, Pa.) each drove in four runs. McCauley had two of the Devils six extra-base hit including a three-run home run. Senior Phil Maher (Norristown HS/Norristown, Pa.) added three hits, leading seven USP players who had at least two hits in the game. Freshman Tim Summers (Urbana HS/Monrovia, Md.) picked up the win, pitching eight innings and giving up seven hits, five runs (four earned) while striking out four. Summers improves to 4-1 on the season.

Joe Matterer took the loss for the Wildcats, lasting only 3 1/3 innings and giving up eight runs on 10 hits. Spike Austin had two hits for Wilmington while Matt Gianni and Joe Danks each drove in two runs.

The Devils exploded for five runs in the fourth inning to turn a close game into a near runaway. Singles by freshman Mark Perry (Toms River South HS/Toms River, N.J.), sophomore Mark Forbes (Salesianum HS/Hockessin, Del.) and junior Michael Kleinschmidt (St. Mark’s HS/Newark, Del.) loaded the bases with one out. Freshman Steve Rossi (Bishop Ahr HS/Somerset, N.J.) then singled to score Perry; and McCauley was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Forbes. Curry followed with a single to drive in two more and Maher added another single to score McCauley with the eighth USP run and chase Matterer, a First Team All-CACC selection last season out of the game.

The Wildcats closed within four, 8-4 with two runs in the sixth as Danks delivered a one-out two-run double off Summers. The Devils then put the game away with five more runs in the seventh inning. Senior Chris Longo (Cherry Hill East HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) drove in the first run and Forbes scored the second on an outfield error. McCauley followed with a three run home run to make the score 13-4.

Summers gave up an unearned run in the seventh inning and pitched a scoreless eighth. Freshman Zach Noel (Delone Catholic HS/Littlestown, Pa.) came on to pitch a scoreless ninth as the Devils earned just their second win against the Wildcats in their last ten meetings going back to 2004.

Forbes drove in the first USP run with an infield groundout in the first and Curry’s one-out double in the third plated two more to give the Devils an early 3-0 lead. Wilmington scored two in the bottom of the third to make the score 3-2 before the Devils struck for their five runs in the fourth.

USP will play a single game on Thursday, April 3, 2008 against Chestnut Hill College before traveling to Felician College to take on the Golden Falcons in a double header on Saturday, April 5, 2008.

Warriors Edge Devils in Extra Frames (3/29/08)

Nyack outfielder Oscar Ortiz doubled in Cody Levins in the 14th inning as the Warriors defeated the visiting Devils from The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia 7-6 Saturday in Nyack, New York.

The loss drops the Devils record to 5-14 overall and 1-4 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games. Nyack improves to 5-10 overall and 3-0 in the CACC.

Senior Phil Maher (Norristown HS/Norristown, Pa.) took the loss for the Devils, pitching the final eight innings in relief of starter sophomore Gary Thompson (Timber Creek HS/Sicklerville, N.J.). Maher gave up nine hits and two runs while striking out five. Phil also had a hot bat at the plate, banging out three hits in six at-bats while driving in four of the Devils six runs. Senior Michael Curry (St. Pius X HS/Collegeville, Pa.) and sophomore Mark Forbes (Salesianum HS/Hockessin, Del.) had two hits apiece.

Wayne Richardson picked up the win for the Warriors, pitching the final three innings while allowing just one hit and striking out six. Levins had the big day at the plate for Nyack, going 6-for-8 with five RBI. Ortiz had three hits and two RBI and John Raebig also had three hits.

Nyack held a 6-4 lead until the ninth inning. Levins came in to pitch to close out the game and quickly got the first out before freshman Steve Rossi (Bishop Ahr HS/Somerset, N.J.) singled. Junior Pete McCauley (Northwestern Lehigh HS/New Tripoli, Pa.) walked and Curry followed with a single to load the bases. Maher then delivered a single to score Rossi and McCauley and tie the game at 6-6.

Four scoreless innings followed and it looked like the game would continue as Maher recorded two outs in the bottom of the 14th yet still had a runner on first. Ortiz then delivered a long double as Levins scored from first base to win the game for the Warriors.

RBI singles by Maher in the first and third innings led to a 3-0 USP lead. Levins got his first RBI in the third and added another in the fifth to pull the Warriors within one 3-2. After senior Chris Longo (Cherry Hill East HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) scored in the sixth to make the score 4-2, the Warriors struck for four runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 6-4 lead. The big blow was a two-out bases load double by Levins.

The Devils return to action next week with single road games against Wilmington College on Tuesday, April 1, 2008 and Chestnut Hill on Thursday April 3, 2008.

Devils Earn First Conference Win of Season (3/28/08)

Tim Summers pitched a complete game as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia baseball team won their first Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game of the season, defeating Philadelphia University 6-4 in the first game of Thursday afternoon's doubleheader at Ashburn Field in Philadelphia.

The Rams earned a split by taking the second game 7-0. USP' record in now 5-13 overall and 1-3 in league play. Philadelphia University moves to 2-12 overall, 1-1 in league games.

Summers (Urbana HS/Monrovia, Md.), a freshman, allowed eight hits and four earned runs while striking out four to improve his record to 3-1 on the season. The Devils got hits from six different players while five different players drove in runs.

The Rams jumped out to a 3-0 lead, scoring once in the second on a sacrifice fly and twice on three hits in the third. After a scoreless top of the fourth, the Devils went to work in the bottom half of the inning against Philadelphia starter Kyle Noonan.

Freshmen Pete LaRocco (Gloucester Catholic HS/Sewell, N.J.) and Mark Perry (Toms River South HS/Toms River, N.J.) singled with one out to start the Devils rally. Junior Brian Scott (Cornwall Central HS/Cornwall, N.Y.) was then hit by a pitch to load the bases for sophomore Mark Forbes (Salesianum HS/Hockessin, Del.) . Forbes delivered a single to score LaRocco. Junior Michael Kleinschmidt (St. Mark’s HS/Newark, Del.) followed with another single to score Perry. Senior Chris Pino (Hazleton Area HS/ West Hazleton, Pa.) then drew a bases loaded walk to score Scott with the tying run. Junior Pete McCauley (Northwestern Lehigh HS/New Tripoli, Pa.) was also hit by a pitch, scoring Forbes with the go-ahead run. The Devils got their final two runs when senior Michael Curry (St. Pius X HS/Collegeville, Pa.) reached on an infield error as both Kleinschmidt and Pino scored, giving the Devils a three-run lead 6-3.

Summers held the Rams scoreless in the fifth and sixth inning, allowing just one baserunner in each frame. Dan Ellmer tripled off Summers to start the seventh and came home on Zach Mentzer's infield groundout. Summers then struck out Tyler Mentzer before giving up a single to Mike Anderson. Anderson was then forced out at second to end the game and give the Devils a 6-4 win.

In the nightcap, Philadelphia banged out ten hits and took advantage of four USP errors as they shut-out the Devils 7-0. Jarad Farbman earned the win for the Rams while sophomore Gary Thompson (Timber Creek HS/Sicklerville, N.J.) took the loss, dropping his record to 1-3. USP had just two hits (Curry, Forbes) and a total of four base runners during the game.

USP returns to action on Saturday, March 29, 2008 when they travel north to take on Nyack College in a CACC single game matchup in Nyack, New York.

Golden Bears Roll Past Devils (3/26/08)

Kutztown University scored twice in three of the first four innings as they cruised to a 12-1 non-conference win over the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia baseball team Tuesday at North Campus Field in Kutztown, Pennsylvania.

The loss drops the Devils to 4-12 overall. Kutztown improves to 9-10.

Seniors Phil Maher (Norristown HS/Norristown, Pa.) and Chris Pino (Hazleton Area HS/ West Hazleton, Pa.) recorded the only two hits for the Devils. Freshman Adam Kissinger (Egg Harbor Township HS/Egg Harbor Township, N.J.) took the loss, falling to 0-2 on the season. Kissinger pitched the first 3 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on six hits. Kutztown's remaining eight runs were unearned as they took advantage of six USP errors in the game.

KU's Brett Wigder was 3-for-5 with four RBIs while James Quigley was 3-for-5 with three runs scored. Mike Dugan and Mark Renda had two RBIs apiece.

Five KU pitchers combined on a two-hitter. Trent Mertz picked up his first collegiate win, pitching three innings of scoreless relief with three strikeouts.

Kutztown scored two runs in the first inning on an RBI single by Chad Lightcap and a run-scoring groundout by Corey Buletza. The Devils manufactured their lone run in the top of the third. Senior Chris Longo (Cherry Hill East HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) struck out but reached first on a wild pitch. Singles by Pino and Maher then plated Longo with the Devils only run. USP later loaded the bases in the inning with one out before senior Michael Curry (St. Pius X HS/Collegeville, Pa.) hit into a inning ending double play.

KU added two more runs in the third and broke it open with two more in the fourth to lead 6-1. A solo run in the fifth along with two more in the seventh and three in the eighth accounted for the Golden Bears remaining six runs. The Devils mounted a threat in the eighth, again loading the bases with one out before two fly outs ended the inning.

USP returns to action on Thursday when they face Philadelphia University in a CACC doubleheader at Richie Ashburn Field. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m.

A Pair of Pitching Duals as Devils Drop Two to Griffins (3/22/08)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia opened their conference schedule with a doubleheader against Chestnut Hill College on Friday at Ashburn Field in Philadelphia. Both games favored the pitching as the Griffins came away with a 3-0 win in the opener and a 2-1 win in the nightcap.

The two losses drop USP’s record to 4-10 overall and 0-2 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) games. Chestnut Hill improves to 3-9 overall and 2-0 in league play.

USP’s starting pitcher, sophomore Gary Thompson (Timber Creek HS/Sicklerville, N.J.) and Chestnut Hill’s starter Ryan Weber kept the game scoreless through six innings of work. Weber allowed just four hits to pick up the win, while Thompson allowed seven in the losing effort. Neither pitcher walked a batter.

The Griffins finally got to Thompson in the top of the seventh as Andrew Donofry brought home a run on a two-out double to give the Chestnut Hill a 1-0 lead. D.J. Santoro and Alex Sacchetti then knocked back-to-back, run-scoring singles to extend the Griffin lead to 3-0. Weber closed the Devils out in the bottom half of the seventh to earn his second win of the season. Kevin Dumicich and Dave Herzog each collected two hits for Chestnut Hill with Herzog belting two doubles. Senior Michael Curry (St. Pius X HS/ Collegeville, Pa.) had two of the Devils four hits in the opener.

In the nightcap, USP senior Phil Maher (Norristown HS/Norristown, Pa.) allowed just one hit while pitching a complete game but the Griffins took advantage of a pair of Devil errors to come away with a 2-1 victory. Maher’s counterpart on the mound, Tommy Walton, struck out 10 USP batters while allowing just one run on six hits. Maher struck out six and allowed just the two unearned runs. Neither pitcher walked a batter.

The game remained scoreless through five innings until the Griffins got on the scoreboard in the top half of the sixth. Sacchetti reached on an error as did the following batter, Andrew Koziol. Two batters later, Mike Knipe plated Sacchetti and Koziol on a single giving the Griffins a late 2-0 advantage.

The Devils squandered an opportunity to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth, with poor base running being the cause. Junior Brian Scott (Cornwall Central HS/Cornwall, N.Y.) led off with a pinch-hit single and was replaced on the bases by freshman John Thomas (Archbishop Carroll HS/Plymouth Meeting, Pa.). Thomas was then thrown out trying to steal. Curry then reached second on a two-base outfield error and later scored on junior Pete McCauley’s (Northwestern Lehigh HS/New Tripoli, Pa.) line double to right centerfield, making the score 2-1.

The Devils squandered another opportunity in the seventh as well. Freshman Pete LaRocco (Gloucester Catholic HS/Sewell, N.J.) and senior Chris Longo (Cherry Hill East HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) led off the inning with singles. Freshman Zach Noel (Delone Catholic/Littlestown, Pa.), who came in to run for LaRocco, was then picked off second for the first out. Walton then retired the next tow USP batters to preserve the win.

The Devils return to action on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 when they travel to Kutztown University to take on the Bears in a single game at 3:30 p.m.

West Chester Defeats Devils (3/14/08)

Peter McCauley had three hits and drove in two runs but it was not enough as the West Chester University Golden Rams, ranked #9 nationally defeated the Devils 10-3 Thursday afternoon at serpico Stadium in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

The loss drops the Devils to 4-7 overall. West Chester improves to 13-0.

McCauley (Northwestern Lehigh HS/New Tripoli, Pa.), a junior infielder, recorded a double and two singles in four at-bats on the afternoon. Senior Michael Curry (St. Pius X HS/Collegeville, Pa.) also added two hits. freshman Zach Noel (Delone Catholic/Littlestown, Pa.) started and took the loss for the devils, pitching 3 1/3 innings allowing six hits, six runs while walking four.

Nick Spisak had three hits and Kyle Bechter and Matt Cotellese two apiece for the Golden Rams who banged out 11 hits in the game. Cotellese delivered the big blow, a three-run home run in the fourth. Mike Cope pitched the first six innings for the win.

The Devils took an early 1-0 lead in the top half of the second as McCauley singled home senior Chris Longo (Cherry Hill East HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) who drew a two out walk two batters earlier. West Chester countered in the bottom of the second, scoring three times on four hits to take a 3-1 lead.

Cotellese's three-run home run made the score 6-1 and the Golden Rams put two more on the board with back-to-back-to-back doubles by Spisak, Bechter and Cotellese, making the score 8-1.

The Devils scored their final two runs in the seventh. Junior Phil Cox (Riverside HS/Riverton, N.J.) led off with a single and was replaced on the base paths by junior Michael Kleinschmidt (St. Mark’s HS/Newark, Del.) . After advancing on a wild pitch, Kleinschmidt scored on McCauley's double down the left field line. McCauley later scored the Devils final run on an infield ground out. West Chester's Bob Stumpo drove in the final two runs in the bottom of the seventh to make the final score 10-3.

The Devils return to action on Saturday, March 15, 2008 when the take on Widener University in a doubleheader in Chester, Pennsylvania.

Devils Earn Three Wins in Florida (3/10/08)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia men's baseball team recently completed their nine game trip to Fort Myers, Florida, coming away with wins against Stonehill College, Gannon University and the University of North Dakota.

The Devils finished the trip with a 3-6 record in their Florida games and improved to 4-6 overall on the season. Their 4-6 record is their best ten game start since the 2004 campaign.

USP's 4-3 win against Stonehill College, ranked #9 in the most recent NCBWA Northeast Region poll capped off the Devils successful trip. Trailing 3-1, the Devils rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull ahead for good. Back-to-back singles by sophomore Dustin Gill (Delone Catholic HS/Hanover, Pa.) and senior Michael Curry (St. Pius X HS/Collegeville, Pa.) started off the inning. Fellow senior Phil Maher (Norristown HS/Norristown, Pa.) followed with a base-clearing double, his second of the game, to tie the score at 3-3. Two batters later, Maher scored the go-ahead run on freshman Pete LaRocco's (Gloucester Catholic HS/Sewell, N.J.) double. Now leading 4-3 the task of holding the Skyhawks fell to relief pitcher, freshman Tim Summers (Urbana HS/Monrovia, Md.). Summers proceeded to hold Stonehill without a hit for the final three innings to pick up his second win of the season. Maher drove in three of the Devils four runs with his two doubles. Curry finished the game with three hits with LaRocco adding two.

The Skyhawks took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first before USP evened the score at 1-1 on Maher's RBI double. Stonehill added solo runs in the fourth and fifth before the Devils rallied to take the lead for good in the sixth.

USP's wins against Gannon and North Dakota came at the start of their trip. Against Gannon, the Golden Knights jumped out to a 6-2 lead in their first three at-bats before the Devils rallied to tie the game with a four run third inning.

Curry's double scored junior Michael Kleinschmidt (St. Mark’s HS/Newark, Del.) (walk, stolen base) with the first run of the inning. Two batters later freshman Mark Perry (Toms River South HS/Toms River, N.J.) delivered a one-out single to score junior Pete McCauley (Northwestern Lehigh HS/New Tripoli, Pa.) as Curry advanced to third. Singles by LaRocco and Gill followed, plating Curry and Perry to tie the game at 6-6.

The score remained tied until the bottom of the sixth inning. Gill led off with a single and came around to score on senior Chris Pino's (Hazleton Area HS/West Hazleton, Pa.) one-out triple to make the score 7-6. Pino later scored on freshman Steve Rossi's (Bishop Ahr HS/Somerset, N.J.) sacrifice fly to give the Devils an 8-6 lead. Maher, who started the game, allowed one run in the seventh as the Devils held on for an 8-7 win, giving USP a split of the doubleheader. Maher pitched a complete game, allowing 12 hits, seven runs (three earned) while striking out five to get his first win of the year.

The Devils opened the trip with a 6-4 win over the University of North Dakota. Sophomore Gary Thompson (Timber Creek HS/Sicklerville, N.J.) earned the win, pitching 5 1/3 innings allowing eight hits, three runs (two earned) while striking out two. Maher pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save.

After the Fighting Sioux jumped out to a 2-0 lead, the Devils got a run back on McCauley's RBI double in the third and tied the game on an RBI single from LaRocco in the fourth. Curry belted a two run home run in the fifth to put the Devils on top 4-2.

The Devils still led, 4-3 when the executed a squeeze play in the eighth to plate their fifth run. McCauley led off the inning with a triple and Rossi came in to run for him. Curry walked and senior Chris Longo (Cherry Hill East HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) laid down a perfect bunt to the third baseman who had only one play- a throw to first to retire Longo as Rossi scored to make the score 5-3. North Dakota again pulled within one with a solo run in the bottom of the eighth before the Devils added an insurance run in the ninth on Curry's RBI single.

In between the wins the Devils suffered doubleheader sweeps by Winona State University, 8-3 and 20-2 and Saginaw Valley State University 7-2 and 10-8. USP also suffered a 16-7 loss to Kentucky Wesleyan College.

The Devils return to action on Thursday, March 13, 2008 when they face West Chester University in a single game at West Chester starting at 3:30 p.m.