Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Mount Saint Mary College baseball team (3-3) split a doubleheader with Penn State-Harrisburg (2-7) Tuesday afternoon on the second day of their spring break trip to Myrtle Beach as part of The Ripken Experience. The Knights suffered a tough 6-5 walk-off defeat in the first game, but bounced back to the tune of a 10-4 victory in game two against the Lions.

Senior left fielder Vinnie Carminati (Huntington, N.Y.) kicked off the scoring with his first homerun of the season, a solo shot to right, which put the Knights up 1-0 in the first. Sophomore second baseman James Nakashian (Massapequa, N.Y.) smacked an RBI double to left in the third to improve the Knight lead to two runs. Carminati immediately followed with an infield single that scored sophomore center fielder Mike Leone (Staten Island, N.Y.), and then freshman shortstop Steve Notaro (Staten Island, N.Y.) hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Nakashian, giving the Knights a 4-0 lead after three innings.

The Lions began their comeback in the home half of the third, adding a pair of runs on back-to-back RBI singles to cut the Knight lead in half. Catcher Jim Quinn homered for the Lions in the sixth inning to get them within a run, and then first baseman Bryan Balshy picked up an RBI single to tie the game at 4-4 after six.

Leone hit the second sacrifice fly in the game for the Knights in the top of the seventh, putting the Knights back up by one. Freshman reliever Kevin Duffy (Wallingford, Conn.) came in to close out the game for the Knights, but he ran into some bad luck. After a leadoff walk, the Lions attempted a sacrifice bunt, which ended with a throwing error the left runners on first and third without an out. Another walk loaded the bases, and then a single by left fielder Travis Crammer tied the game at five. Duffy struck the next batter out, but an infield single by right fielder Eric Hoover ended the game by bringing in the winning run from third.

Duffy suffered the loss after allowing two runs (one earned) in 1/3 of an inning pitched. Lions' starter Troy Taber went the complete seven innings to earn the win, allowing five runs (two earned) and striking out three.

Hoover, who knocked in the winning run, went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in game one. Crammer went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI.

Carminati went 2-for-4 in the opener with a homerun, a pair of RBI and a run scored. Nakashian also hit 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Both also stole a base in the game.

The Knights made sure there would be no comeback in game two, starting with an early 2-0 lead on a Notaro single that scored Carminati and Nakashian in the first. The Lions got a run back in the second, but the Knights strung together a four-run rally in the third to push their lead to 6-1.

The Lions once again got on the board with a run in the fifth, but the Knights doubled that output with a pair in the home half of the inning. Notaro brought Carminati in again with a single, and then freshman designated hitter Jimmy Papineau (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.) brought in Notaro after reaching on an error to leave the Knights up, 8-2.

Lions' catcher Garret McCutcheon stroked a two-run homer in the top of the sixth, but freshman third baseman Rob Peccerillo (Staten Island, N.Y.) decided he could do it too, and smacked a two-run dinger to left of his own in the Knights' next at bat to put them back up by six.

Sophomore starter Logan Kurtz (Gansevoort, N.Y.) went four innings without allowing an earned run to pick up the win for the Knights. Derek Slagle took the loss for the Lions, allowing six runs (five earned) in three innings of work.

Peccerillo's homerun was part of a 2-for-4 effort with three RBI and a pair of runs scored. Carminati had another great game, going 2-for-2 with four runs scored, while Notaro stayed hot as well with a 2-for-4 outing, knocking in three runs and scoring another.

No Lion hitter managed more than a single hit in the afternoon game. McCutcheon subbed in late and made the biggest contribution with two RBI with the homer in his only at bat.

The Knights will play the final game of their spring break trip later today, March 12, when they take on Mount Aloysius College at 4 p.m.

Follow the Knights on Twitter at @MSMCKnights