RADNOR, Pa.– Eastern University Baseball was the natural opponent for the first home baseball game in Cabrini University history. In waiting for the completion of their field, the Cavaliers practiced in the fall on Eastern's field, and the two Eagle Road neighbors carry a good rivalry in nearly every sport. In the early going it seemed that the Eagles might be prepped to ruin the Cavalier celebration, but the Cavailers scored seven times in the bottom of the fifth and claimed a 12-6 daylight-shortened victory in the first of two scheduled games this year.
The Cavaliers scored the first run in their new digs without the benefit of a hit. In the second inning, the Cavaliers loaded the bases on a trio of walks and scored on a sacrifice fly. Eastern starter
Grant Fisher escaped further damage with a good move to first to pick off a baserunner.
The Eagles scored three times on five hits in the top of the third. A Cabrini double-play in the middle of the inning kept the damage from being more severe.
Craig Stanley delivered a two-out two RBI double down the right field line to put the Eagles up.
Fisher worked through the third and fourth innings without allowing another run before running into trouble in the fifth.
A leadoff double and a walk put Fisher in a little trouble, but the junior left-hander made a nice play to catch a sacrifice bunt attempt for the first out of the inning. Another walk loaded the bases, but Fisher made the pitch he needed to make and got a sharp grounder to short. A bobble on the catch threw off the timing of the double-play and the flip to second wound up in right field. The Cavaliers took advantage of the extra outs to lead 8-3 by the end of the inning.
The Eagles scored a single run in the sixth and looked poised for a big inning in the seventh. Zach Belansek hit an RBI double, and
Shane Albertson walked with the bases loaded to drive in a run, but Cabrini reliever Mike Rodriguez closed out the inning with a strikeout.
The Cavaliers scored twice in the bottom of the seventh, and the umpire called the game for darkness after the final out of the seventh. Eastern will host Cabrini on March 28.
The Eagles travel to Wesley for a single game tomorrow.
