DelaCruz Ties Record, Baseball Rallies Past Kean

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. – The Mitchell College baseball team kicked off their nine game spring break schedule by rallying past Kean University 14-8 on Thursday afternoon in Punta Gorda, Fla.

Dougie DelaCruz (Uncasville, Conn.) belted his 18th career home run in the win for Mariners, tying the all-time record set by Jeff Perillo during the 2011 season. DelaCruz led the Mariners with three hits, four RBI, and two runs scored. Owen Robbins (East Lyme, Conn.) also collected three hits in the win, while Angel Galindez (Carolina, PR), Bo Yaworski (Brooklyn, Conn.), and Matt Falk (Enfield, Conn.) also registered multi-hit games in Mitchell's Florida debut.

After falling into an 8-0 hole early, the Mariners battled back. Angel Galindez began the comeback by lacing a two run single in the bottom of the second, before DelaCruz smashed a three run homer to right, scoring Galindez and Thai-ler Sestokas (Danbury, Conn.). Mitchell trimmed the deficit to one on a two-run single by Justin Adorno (New Britain, Conn.) in the third, before Adorno continued his big day by knocking in the game tying run in the bottom of the fifth.

A bases loaded walk to Yaworski gave Mitchell a 9-8 lead moments later, and the Mariners would not look back.

Mitchell broke the game wide open in seventh, plating three runs on a trio of doubles from DelaCruz, Matt Falk, and Lelo Martinez (New London, Conn.). Yaworski added to the advantage the next inning, driving in a pair on a double to center field.

Tyler Daly (Wallingford, Conn.) picked up his first win of the season, tossing seven and two third shutout inning in relief, allowing just three hits and striking out four. Tyler Provost, Brett Hilsheimer, and Javier Alfonso drove in two runs apiece for Kean, while starting pitcher Collin Kiernan allowed eight earned runs in four innings.

The Mariners (3-0 overall) will face Heidelberg University on Friday, March 10th, at 11:00 am in Port Charlotte, Fla.