BABSON PARK, Fla. - For the second straight day, the Mount Saint Mary College baseball team split a pair of games.  The Knights defeated Drew University, 7-3, in the morning game, but lost to Westfield State College, 17-3, in the afternoon.

Mount Saint Mary rapped out 20 hits in the opening game and got seven strong innings from freshman Ryan Gerhart (Winfield, N.J.).  Gerhart allowed eight hits and just one earned run to claim the win.  Fellow freshman Brandon Lubrano (Mineola, N.Y.) pitched the final two innings, allowing two hits and striking out two.

The Knights jumped out early with two runs in the first.  Junior Michael Matuk (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) doubled home freshman Alex Velardi (Branford, Conn.) who led off the contest with a single to right-center.  Matuk scored on a single from senior Max Tecce (Glen Cove, N.Y.).

Sophomore Vinnie Carminati (Huntington, N.Y.) launched a solo homer to right field in the fourth inning to give the Knights a 3-1 lead.    Matuk singled home Velardi again in the sixth, this time after Velardi had singled and stolen second.

Junior Michael Morelli (Washingtonville, N.Y.) picked up an RBI single in the eight, driving home senior John Conroy (Middletown, N.Y.).    The Knights closed out the scoring in the ninth with run-scoring singles from freshman Anthony Licata (Franklin Square, N.Y.) and Velardi.

Velardi and Carminati eached finished with four hits, two runs scored, and an RBI.  Matuk finished 3-for-6 with a run scored and a pair of RBIs.

In game two, Westfield State turned the tables on the Mount, collecting 16 hits and taking advantage of four Mount errors for 17 runs.  Matuk provided a bright spot for the Knights, ripping a run-scoring triple to center in the third and a solo home run to left-center in the sixth.

MSMC wraps up Florida play against New Jersey City University on Thursday.  Game time is 12:00 p.m. at Lake Bonny Park in Lakeland, Florida.