MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - On Monday evening at the Ripken Experience, Eastern Baseball began its four-game Spring Break trip with a 7-1 loss to Eagle Road rival Cabrini in the first of three meetings this season. The Eagles, despite outhitting the Cavaliers 9-7, were only able to push one run across, leaving nine men on base in the defeat.

Cabrini's pitching combination of Dom Marotta (1-0) and Josh Colon kept the Eastern offense in check, combining for 10 strikeouts and just one earned run allowed. Furthermore, the Cavaliers' defense provided support with a pair of double plays.

The Cavaliers (4-0) opened the scoring with two runs in the first inning. After a walk to Dustin Sutton and an Eastern fielding error, Jaden Dickerson roped a double to left field to plate Sutton and put the Cavaliers ahead 1-0. Ryan Dipper followed with an RBI groundout to increase the lead to 2-0. In the bottom of the second inning, Brock Langlotz led off with a single up the middle, but a double play moments later squashed any potential rally.

Cabrini scored two more runs in the third on a Dipper RBI double and a Christian Strickland RBI groundout, but the Eagles were able to crack the scoreboard in the bottom half of the inning. After a Connor Schilling infield single and an Evan Barks walk, first-year third baseman Robert Del Buono scorched a grounder through the right side of the infield to score Schilling and cut the Eagles' deficit to one. It was the first career hit and RBI for Del Buono, who hails from Langhorne.

However, that proved to be the only offense for the Eagles. Despite three doubles in the final five innings, Eastern could not capitalize. The Cavaliers added insurance runs in the sixth on a Colton Narciso sacrifice fly and in the seventh on a Sutton two-run home run.

Barks and Schilling each finished with two hits for the Eagles, while Del Buono, Langlotz, Trent Macdougall, Sean Cottrell, and Leyton Bamesberger each recorded one. In their first appearances of the season, junior Logan Culp and first-year southpaw Dylan Labukas each tossed a scoreless inning without giving up a hit.

"Tonight, we didn't play our cleanest. Made a few costly mistakes early on and they capitalized," Eastern Head Coach Scott Renauro said. "They are a good, experienced team so we knew going through their lineup was not going to be easy. We ended up outhitting them, but couldn't string the hits together in the key spots tonight. We're back at it again tomorrow with another opportunity against a solid team."

Eastern (2-1) continues its Spring Break trip with three more games over the next three days. The Eagles will take on Hanover College tomorrow morning with first pitch scheduled for 11:00 am.