Fishkill, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College Baseball team finished the day with a season-opening non-conference sweep of Marywood on Saturday afternoon at Dutchess Stadium. Senior Christian Spano (Mahopac, N.Y.) threw 5.2 scoreless innings in the first game shutout and freshman Dominick Marzigliano (Highland Mills, N.Y.) scored the winning run on an error in extra innings to complete the sweep.

Game 1: Mount Saint Mary 5 – Marywood 0

The Pacers threatened early as they loaded the bases with nobody out in the first inning. However, Spano forced an infield pop out and a 6-4-3 double play to escape the first inning unscathed.

Marywood threatened again in the second as the first two hitters reached base to start the inning. Following a Kevin McDonough sac bunt to put runners at second and third, Spano struck out Morgan Theobald looking, walked the following hitter and then struck out Jake Schuster to end the threat.

The Knights got on the scoreboard in the third as Steven Mirra (Wallingford, Conn.) was hit by pitch with one out. John Santana (Warwick, N.Y.) followed with a single and Matt Barbieri (New Paltz, N.Y.) drove both in with a two out double.

The Mount offense struck again in the fifth as Mirra singled again with one out. After he stole second, Marzigliano knocked him in with a two out double to put the Knights up 3-0.

Spano was relieved after a two out walk to Bubba Klein in the sixth and Nick Zestanakis (Bayside, N.Y.) stranded two runners to keep the game scoreless. Anthony Rizzo (Smithtown, N.Y.) tripled with two outs in the sixth and both Jack Goodwin (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) and Mirra had RBI singles to give the Knights extra insurance heading into the final inning.

Michael DiGiovanni (Shirley, N.Y.) closed the contest with a scoreless seventh inning as the Knights won game one 5-0. Spano finished with 5.2 innings pitched, four hits, four walks and three strikeouts to earn the victory. Mirra was 2-for-3 with a RBI and two runs scored, Marzigliano had two hits, including a double, and a RBI and Barbieri was 1-for-2 with a double, walk and 2 RBI's.

Game 2: Mount Saint Mary 4 – Marywood 3 (8 innings)

The Knights loaded the bases in the first inning following three walks from Marywood starter John Mandarano but a fielder's choice and a strikeout kept the Mount off the board in the inning.

The Mount once again got on the board first, starting with a walk by Santana. After he swiped second, Barbieri drove him in with a two out RBI single and DiGiovanni drove in Barbieri with a RBI double.

Marywood came back in the sixth with two runs of their own. Schuster doubled with one out and Trevor Powers knocked him in with a RBI single. Following a stolen base and a wild pitch, Scott Becker scored Powers with a sacrifice fly to tie the game at two. Following a Klein double, Mount starter Barbieri was relieved for Alexander Maher (Mineola, N.Y.). After two walks, Robert Brust (Shirley, N.Y.) entered and Klein was caught stealing home to end the threat.

The Pacers took their first lead of the day in the seventh. Vinny D'Auria led off with a walk and proceeded to steal second. Following a single, Brust got a groundout that held D'Auria at third. After an intentional walk to load the bases, Brust got Powers to foul out to the catcher Jaiden Bonet (Bronx, N.Y.). After a passed ball scored a run to give Marywood a 3-2 lead, Brust ended the threat with a strikeout.

Down a run in the final half inning, Chris McLaren (Cornwall-On-Hudson, N.Y.) started the inning with a walk. Following a sacrifice bunt and a groundout, freshman Liam Merlin (Reading, Mass.) reached on an error and McLaren scored the game-tying run. Santana followed with a single to left field but Merlin was gunned down at the plate to send the game to extra innings.

After Brust sent the Pacers down in order, Marzigliano led the Knights off with a single to start the eighth. Following a steal, Barbieri was walked to put runners at first and second with no outs. DiGiovanni put down a sacrifice bunt and reached on an error as Marzigliano came around from second to score the winning run.

Barbieri threw 5.2 innings, giving up five hits, two earned runs, one walk and five strikeouts. Brust earned the win as he finished with 2.1 innings pitched, one hit, one unearned run, two walks and one strikeout. Barbieri added a hit, RBI and two walks at the plate and DiGiovanni had a double, walk and a RBI.

Saturday's sweep pushes the Mount to 2-0 overall to start the season. The Knights continue a nine-game homestand when they play host to City College of New York on Friday afternoon. First pitch at Dutchess Stadium is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.