Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
Holy Cross
Army Wins Series Opener At Holy Cross
April 19, 2014 | Baseball
April 19, 2014
WORCESTER, Mass. – Connor Love highlighted a four-run fourth inning with a two-RBI single that propelled the Army baseball team to a 5-1 victory in the first game of a doubleheader at Holy Cross Saturday afternoon. Nick Dignacco pitched a seven-inning complete game to earn the victory.
Army improved to 24-12 overall and 8-4 in Patriot League play. The Crusaders dropped to 11-24 overall and 3-8 in conference action.
In addition to Love, Mark McCants and Patrick Mescher played key offensive roles with two hits each. Mescher crossed the plate twice, while McCants scored once. Jacob Page, Harold Earls and Alex Jensen all drove in a run.
Dignacco improved to 6-1 on the season, scattering six hits. He struck out eight and walked three. Donny Murray (2-5) took the loss. He allowed all five runs on nine hits, striking out six.
Brandon Cipolla led the Crusaders offense with two hits. Josh Hassell accounted for the lone Holy Cross run with an RBI double in the fifth inning.
Army jumped on top in the top of the second inning on an RBI single by Earls that scored Mescher. Army’s rally was snuffed out on the play when Earls was thrown out trying to advance to second.
The Black Knights went hitless in the third inning, but McCants started the decisive rally with a single. Base hits by Meshcer and Kris Lindner loaded the bases for Page, who drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Jensen’s single chased home the second run of the inning, and with runners on second and third after a double steal, Love came through with a two-out hit to extend Army’s lead to 5-0.
Holy Cross, which had left runners on base in the first, third and fourth innings, scored its lone run in the home half of the fourth. A walk and single put two runners on for Hassell who doubled to right field. A walk loaded the bases, but Dignacco induced a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.
Dignacco retired the next six batters in order to preserve the victory.
