Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Sean Fritinger vs. Aurora on 3-3-24
Katie Gerba
Sean Fritinger was the sparkplug, as his grand slam in Game 1 launched JCU.
8
Concordia Moorhead CCM 3-4
9
Winner John Carroll JCU 2-6
Concordia Moorhead CCM
3-4
8
Final
9
John Carroll JCU
2-6
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Concordia Moorhead CCM 0 0 0 3 1 3 1 8 10 0
John Carroll JCU 0 0 0 1 1 7 X 9 12 4

W: Ferdinando, Brandon (1-0) L: J Riley Ohm (0-1) S: Darrow, Henry (1)

14
Winner John Carroll JCU 3-6
2
Concordia Moorhead CCM 3-5
Winner
John Carroll JCU
3-6
14
Final
2
Concordia Moorhead CCM
3-5
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
John Carroll JCU 0 3 0 3 0 1 7 14 13 0
Concordia Moorhead CCM 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 7 2

W: Higley, Jamon (1-1) L: Bergen Bauman (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Joe Ginley '16, SID

Blue Streaks Get Needed Spark, Sweeping Concordia Moorhead

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Following a slow start to the spring, John Carroll Baseball was in need of a spark.

Today, the Blue Streaks got it.

John Carroll's bats came alive with a pair of dynamic efforts vs. Concordia College of Moorhead, Minnesota in 9-8 and 14-2 victories in Auburndale, Florida at Lake Myrtle Park Field #7.

Game 1
The catalyst for John Carroll was an unlikely one. 

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Blue Streaks trailed 7-2 after Concordia Moorhead tallied three runs in the half-inning before. Connor Mayle and Erik Daugenti had knocked in runs earlier in the game, but that seemed long ago. So, Manager Bobby Bell opted for some changes.

Michael Johnson pinch hit to start the inning and promptly singled. Jordan Suvak pinch ran, advancing to third on a Sean Connolly double and then scoring on a Logan LaMere single. Luke Chlystek walked to load the bases. Ryan Funderburg walked and Michael Persichetti singled to score a pair of runs. So, the Cobbers went to the bullpen with the go-ahead runner at first and no outs.

This setup a fascinating matchup. On the bump for the Cobbers, a sophomore with just two prior collegiate relief appearances. At the plate for the Blue Streaks, Sean Fritinger, a sophomore with just 4 collegiate at-bats to his name, and just one hit. He had checked in at the top of the sixth to play right field.

In easily the most memorable at-bat of the season to date, Fritinger blasted a grand slam over the wall in right field to the wonderment of all 75 fans plus the players assembled at Lake Myrtle Park Field #7. Talk about a clutch time to have your first collegiate homer (and first runs batted in).

The 4-run dinger changed the dynamic of the day for the Blue Streaks. John Carroll suddenly stood ahead, 9-7, with three outs standing between them and a wild comeback win.

Concordia's top of the seventh started with a groundout and a hit by pitch, so Bell went to the pen, with Henry Darrow replacing Brandon Ferdinando. The Cobbers quickly singled and succeeded on a double steal, so the tying run was in scoring position and the go-ahead run at the plate. Darrow coaxed a groundout, ceding the Cobbers the run. And then, in a very bold move, the Cobber at third tried to steal home to tie the game. But Darrow was wise to the aggressive move and fired it to LaMere to end the ballgame. 

Ferdinando got the win in his collegiate debut, and Darrow tallied his third career save. 

Game 2
Fired up after the huge opening win, the Blue Streaks got ahead early and made it a laugher late. 

John Carroll's bats didn't take long to get on the board, plating three runs in the second inning. Logan LaMere doubled to left center for the first run, and soon scored on a wild pitch. Luke Chlystek crossed on a Michael Persichetti single after taking one for the team on a HBP earlier in the frame. 

Concordia Moorhead snuck in a run in the second and third innings off of Jamon Higley, narrowing the deficit to one run. But this day belonged to John Carroll.

Three runs came across in the next half-inning for JCU. Chlystek walked and Persichetti singled to set the stage with one out. A Bryce Holt single scored Chlystek, and Persichetti dashed home on a Holt's steal of second, which coaxed to a throw from the catcher. Connor Mayle tapped a single to center to score Holt, and so JCU stood ahead, 6-2, entering the bottom of the fourth. 

As Jake Corll cruised, JCU got him another run in the sixth, with a Sean Connolly sacrifice fly doing the trick. Then in the seventh, JCU put it way out of reach.

John Carroll got it done with small ball. RBI singles by Persichetti, Mayle, Beiter, and Chlystek did big damage. Sprinkled in were an RBI hit by pitch by Holt, a Jack Harmon sac fly, and a couple stolen bases. Add it all up and you have a 7-run seventh inning, plus a big boost of momentum entering the Florida finale.

Seven Streaks tallied hits, with Persichetti filling the statsheet with a 4-for-5 game with 2 RBIs. The top three batters (Persichetti, Holt, Mayle) combined to go 8-for-11 with 6 RBIs, 6 runs, and 3 walks. 

Corll looked excellent on the mound, with three hits scattered across 4.2 innings of scoreless relief, with four strikeouts. 

Next Up
The Blue Streaks finish off the Florida trip on Friday, facing the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg in a doubleheader starting at 12:15 pm. 
Print Friendly Version

Sponsors