WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Saint Michael's College baseball first-year Luke McGuire's (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield) RBI single in the top of the eighth and final inning lifted the Purple Knights past Point Park (Pa.) University, 5-4 in eight innings, in the nightcap of a doubleheader on Saturday at Chain of Lakes Park during the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. The Pioneers took the opener, 18-3 in seven innings.
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (2-7), Point Park (5-3)

DOUBLEHEADER FACTS

• Senior Sam Cavossa (East Falmouth, Mass./The Winchendon School) moved into a tie for fourth in program history in career hits (133) with Nicky Elderton '15.
• Senior Ryan Canty (Shelburne, Vt./Champlain Valley Union), who broke Corey Livington's '14 school record for career pitching appearances (40) on Thursday, made his 42nd outing on Saturday.

GAME 1
SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Cavossa, 1-for-2, 2 RBI, BB, 2B
• Senior Jack Weber (Milford, Conn./Notre Dame), 1-for-2, R
• Junior Jack Pattison (Vernon, Vt./Vermont Academy), 1-for-3, R, RBI, 2B
• Senior Matt Safer (Essex, Vt./Essex), 0.2 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, loss

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Junior Blake Ewing, 2-for-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB, 2 HR
• Sophomore Olindo Pezzone, 5-for-5, 5 R, 11 RBI, 2B, 4 HR
• First-year Carlos de la Vega, 2-for-3, 3 R, SB, 2 HP
• Senior Camden Dimidjian, 6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, win

THE ACTION

• Pezzone's three-run homer highlighted a five-run top of the first inning before his grand slam helped the Pioneers push the lead to 10-0 the following frame.
• The Purple Knights got three runs back in the third, as Pattison stroked an RBI double before he and Weber came around on Cavossa's double.
• Point Park hit four more home runs in scoring the final eight runs.

GAME 2
SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Cavossa, 2-for-4, RBI
• McGuire, 2-for-4, R, RBI
• Pattison, 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, HR, HP
• First-year Gavin Nichols (Swanton, Vt./Missisquoi Valley Union), 5.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, no-decision
• Senior Colin Burke (Amherst, N.H./Souhegan), 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K in relief, win

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Junior Felix Rodriguez, 1-for-4, R, RBI, HR
• Sophomore Zane Griffaton, 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K in relief, loss

THE ACTION

• Junior Colin Kinsella's (Winthrop, Mass./Winthrop) fielder's choice scored Pattison with the game's first run in the top of the first inning.
• Rodriguez slugged a grand slam, his team's seventh home run in eight innings, in the home half.
• Pattison lofted a two-run dinger of his own in the second to cut the deficit to 4-3.
• McGuire led off the fourth with a single before scoring the tying run on Cavossa's single.
• With the teams scheduled to play seven innings, they extended to extra innings for the eighth. There, McGuire greeted a Point Park relief pitcher by singling home junior Trevor Arsenault (Websterville, Vt./Spaulding) with the go-ahead run.
• With one down in the home half, junior Chris Williams walked and stole second before de la Vega also walked, and Williams swiped third. However, Burke fanned the next batter before inducing a game-ending fielder's choice.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Next Saturday at Pace University, 12 p.m. doubleheader.