Box Score

YORK, Pa. (Baseball) – The fifth-seeded Alvernia Crusaders defeated the fourth-seeded Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Tigers, 8-4, in game one of the 2017 NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional at PeoplesBank Park in York.
 
Alvernia (29-13-2) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
 
Then RIT (33-8) responded with bases loaded and no one out in the bottom half of the inning, but a heady triple-play started by the third baseman ended the inning. Dillon Dunne caught the line-drive, touched third base and threw over to first base to get the runner heading back to first base.
 
The Crusaders loaded the bases in the top of the second inning with one out, but a Tigers’ double-play ended the inning.
 
RIT got an RBI-single in the bottom of the third to bring the score to 2-1.
 
Alvernia added a run in the top of the fifth to extend its lead to 3-1. The Crusaders then added four runs in the top of the sixth and a run in the seventh for an 8-1 lead
 
RIT responded with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to cut the deficit to 8-3.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, the Tigers’ Will Gorman hit the first home run of the regional over the right field fence. RIT trailed 8-4.
 
Alvernia’s Ryan Sheekey picked up the win on six-innings pitched with five strike outs.
 
RIT’s Brian Reed suffered the loss in 5 and 2/3 innings of work.
 
The Crusaders advance to the winner’s bracket and will face No. 1 Johns Hopkins on Friday at 4:30 p.m.
 
The Tigers will face No. 8 Lesley on Friday at 10 a.m.