JACKSON – Macomb Baseball erased an early 5-0 deficit to post an 8-5 comeback victory over the host Jets of Jackson College on Thursday (March 27). The win lifted the Monarchs to 12-7 overall and 3-1 through four of the five nine-inning contests to begin MCCAA Eastern Conference play.
The Monarchs play their final single nine-inning conference game at home on Saturday against Schoolcraft College. First pitch is currently scheduled for 1 p.m. but could be altered due to inclement weather in the forecast. Following the final nine-inning contest, conference play shifts to four-game sets of the seven-inning variety against each league opponent.
As for Thursday's thrilling win,
Nathan Fidelino came on in relief to punch out seven in six-plus innings for his first collegiate win,
Vincent Cowdrey blasted his 11
th home run of the campaign, and
Aidan Miller and
Dane Richards each hit their second long ball of 2025.
Nicholas Sandiha Jr. helped get the Monarchs on the board in the fifth with an RBI single to left field that brought Miller in to score. One inning later, Richards belted the first of three Monarch home runs on the afternoon, a solo shot to left field that cut the Jets lead to 5-2.
The bats erupted in the seventh as Miller cleared the fence in right center for an opposite field shot to get the Monarchs started before Cowdrey hit one of the furthest balls of year with a two-run blast that scored
Adrian Epps to tie the game, 5-5.
Ryan McKay came up huge later in the frame with what would stand as the game-winning RBI on a sacrifice fly that scored
Matt Hanneman, while Cowdrey would tack on the seventh run with a sac fly of his own in the eighth that plated
Riley Ames.
The eighth and final insurance run came in the ninth inning via passed ball as
Luke Babcock alertly came in to score for the 8-5 final.
Fidelino was in cruise control throughout his six-plus innings on the hill as the freshman went on to finish the game and earn his first collegiate win after holding the Jets without a hit and fanning seven.
