The Pirates baseball team hosted New Egypt on Wednesday afternoon in a regular season game that saw them record a walk-off victory for their 17th win of the season. The Pirates won 1-0 on a walk-off, bases loaded single from sophomore Dom Cicale with no outs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Senior lefty Nick Holl got the start on the mound for the Pirates, who removed their regular starters after one at-bat today in order to get them some rest prior to a second-round game against Delran on Thursday.
“I love the guys in this program. Everyone of them. All 45, or however many I have, from freshmen to seniors,” head coach Kevin Merrill said. “With five games these week, we needed to find a spot to rest some guys. I wanted to get some guys rest today and the guys that came in played great defense and found a way to get it done.”
Holl was dominant, recording the complete game victory by allowing no runs on seven hits, two walks and four strikeouts. He is now 1-1 on the season.
“Nick Holl was absolutely tremendous today. One of the most efficient games we’ve had all year,” coach Merrill said. “We had some chances early to get it done, but we finally got a walk-off win instead of suffering a walk-off loss.”
The only starters to record hits today were shortstop Jimmy Cicale (first-inning double) and first baseman Adam Berenato (second-inning single). The rest of the work was done by the subs.
“This was a good win to go into the next playoff game. We also got the starters rest, which is good. It was fun,” Holl said after the victory.
Dom Cicale finished the game 2-for-3 with the game-winning RBI. His hit was down the left field line and it scored courtesy runner Christian Massara, who was running for catcher Tim Profy. Profy reached to start the inning on a down the left field line. Holl and then pinch-hitter Ryan Hanratty both walked to load the bases and set the table for Cicale’s heroics.
The game looked like it might be headed to extras in the sixth, but the Pirates weren’t worried about who was going to go out there on the mound, according to coach Merrill.
“I looked at Nick after the sixth inning and said ‘what do you wanna do?’ He said, ‘I want this one.’ So, I’m not going to take him out after pitching six shutout innings.”
Cinnaminson will host Delran on Thursday, May 21 at 4pm for the second round of the Central, Group 2 Tournament. The Pirates swept Delran in the regular season this year, 7-0 at home and 7-5 on the road.
Cinn City Sports will have live scoring coverage of the game beginning at 4pm right here.
