By Bob Heller
USIP Sports Information Director

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia men's baseball team snapped their ten-game losing streak Saturday afternoon, taking the second game of their Central Atlantic collegiate Conference (CACC) doubleheader 6-5 at Richie Ashburn Field in Philadelphia.

The win salvaged a split for the Devils who lost the opener 13-3. USP is now 4-19 overall and 2-7 in league play. Post is now 14-18 overall and 5-6 in league games.

Justin DeVincenzo (Sr., Bishop Hoban HS/Plains, Pa.) recorded two hits in the second game as eight of the nine USP starters had at least one hit. Phil Cox (So., Riverside HS/Riverton, N.J.) and Chris Longo (Jr., Cherry Hill East HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) each drove in two runs. Phil Maher (Jr., Norristown HS/Norristown, Pa.) earned his first win of the season, pitching a complete game, giving up eight hits, five runs (four earned) while striking out four and walking one.

Post's Mike Padovani had three hits while Dan Luisi added two. Matt Keiser took the loss for the Eagles, giving up nine hits while striking out eight and walking one.

Maher singled and stole second to lead off the first inning for USP and came around to score on Rich Cipoletti's (Sr., Half Hollow Hills West HS/Dix Hills, N.Y.) single to give the Devils an early 1-0 lead. The lead lasted until the third inning when Post scored three times to take a 3-1 advantage. Ryan Depolo's triple brought home two of the three Eagle runs.

Still trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth, the Devils sent nine men to the plate to retake the lead. The DeVincenzo brothers started the rally as Justin singled and Michael doubled to put runners on second and third with nobody out. Cox followed with a single to score both DeVincenzo's and tie the game at 3-3. Ryan Challender (Fr., G.A.M.P./ Upper Darby, Pa.) and Chris Pino (Jr., Hazleton Area HS/West Hazleton, Pa.) then singled to load the bases for Longo, who delivered a two-run single to give the Devils a 5-3 lead. Longo later scored on an infield error to make the score 6-3.

The Eagles got one back in the seventh on an RBI single by Chris Oulette and threatened again in their final at-bat. Luisi's two-out single scored Padovani who had singled and advanced on a wild pitch, making the score 6-5. Oulette then lined out to Cipoletti at second base to end the game as the Devils hung on to win 6-5.

In the opener, Post scored nine runs in the first inning; taking advantage of three USP errors as they went on to defeat the Devils 13-3. Oulette, Depolo, Padovani and Matt Dimaina each had two hits to help pace the Eagles 12 hit attack. Dimaina hit a three-run home run and drove in four while Padovani drove in three. Mike Perry earned the win for the Eagles, pitching the middle three innings and allowing just two runs on four hits.

Michael Kleinschmidt (So., St. Mark's HS/Newark, Del.) had three hits and an RBI while Justin DeVincenzo, Pino and Cox had two hits apiece. Gary Thompson (Fr, Timber Creek HS/Sicklerville, N.J.) took the loss, pitching four-plus innings, giving up 11 runs (only three earned) and striking out two.

Dimaina's three-run blast came in the top of the first inning with nobody out and made the score 3-0. Post followed with six more unearned runs to take a 9-0 lead as the Devils came to bat in the bottom of the first. USP got a run back in their half of the first as Cipoletti drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Justin DeVincenzo brought him home with a single to make the score 9-1.

Post added solo runs in the fourth and fifth innings and led 11-1 when the Devils struck for two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Pino singled and stole second with two outs and came around to score on Longo's double. Kleinschmidt followed with a double to score Longo but advanced only as far as third base before the Eagles got out of the inning.

Post scored their final two runs of the game in the ninth inning to make the final score 13-3.