A dominant performance from
Daniel Slominski and a dramatic walk-off grand slam brought the Dons their first conference win of the season and evened the series with visiting LMU.
Slominski shut down the Lions offense all day by going 8.2 strong innings while only allowing three hits and two walks while striking out eight. He faced 30 batters in the game and threw a first pitch strike to 29 of them.
The game was scoreless into the ninth inning which was started by Slominski (1-1, 2.97 ERA) when he got the first two batters out with relative ease. Then Nick Sogard singled through the left side, but Slominski remained in the game. Then after Billy Wilson walked, it seemed that he was finally out of gas after 97 pitches and head coach
Nino Giarratano pulled him for the lefty
Scott Parker to face the left handed Jamey Smart.
Parker would get the job done and with a roar from the 320 fans in attendance (the most this season), the Dons carried momentum into the bottom of the ninth which would prove to be a chess match.
"Boy, Slominski pitched fabulous today," Giarratano said. "He had command of the fastball, had good movement and the velocity was where it needed to be. The breaking ball was sharp to righties and the change-up was good. Really proud of him and that really energized everybody."
Ross Puskarich (1-for-3 2B) would walk to start the inning against LMU (10-9, 1-1 WCC) pitcher Harrison Simon. Speedy freshman
Tyler Villaroman would pinch-run for Puskarich and promptly steal second, his 10
th steal in 10 attempts this year.
Dominic Miroglio would then have a productive at bat when his groundout to second advanced Villaroman to third. This would cue LMU coach Jason Gill to intentionally walk
Michael Perri. Then, Giarratano would pinch hit
Dan James for Manny Ramirez Jr. which spurred Gill to bring in Ted Boeke. Boeke would hurl a ball over the catcher's head to the back stop, advancing Perri to second with Villaroman holding at third. This would then cause Gill to call for an intentional walk of James, setting the table for
Brady Bate.
On a 1-1 pitch, the junior outfielder in the midst of a breakout campaign destroyed a ball to deep left-center field which soared right over the fence for a walk-off grand slam.
Brady's had a good series and he's a good player," Giarratano said. "We're really happy for him. We're really glad we were able to pull it out in the ninth."
Other notable batters from this game were
Nico Giarratano,
Allen Smoot and Ramirez. Giarratano kept a hot bat going with a 2-for-4 effort. Ramirez, although hitless, crushed a ball to left-center very near where Bate's walk-off went that was caught by Williams as he jumped against the wall.
Allen Smoot went 1-for-4 in the game as he continues a strong series.
Tomorrow's game will be a rubber match between the Dons (11-8, 1-1 WCC) and the Lions. Giarratano will send lefty
Sam Granoff to the mound to oppose Cory Abbott from LMU. You can purchase a ticket to tomorrow's action by
clicking here.
"Nice to be home on Sunday," Giarratano said. "Should be a great crowd; there was a great crowd here today. I thought we carried momentum from yesterday's ninth inning into today, and hopefully we can carry today's momentum into tomorrow and win the series."
Â
