Myrtle Beach, SC - The Mount Aloysius Baseball team used two strong pitching performances to win their first two games of their Spring Break trip to Myrtle Beach. They defeated New England College 9-4 in the first game, and beat Valley Forge in the second game by a final score 11-0. 

Dylan Coyle (Canonsburg, PA/Canon McMillan) took the mound for the first game against a New England College team that had won 7 straight and scored 10 or more runs a game this year. Coyle threw his second career complete game, scattering 10 hits over the 9 innings, while allowing 4 earned runs and striking out 4. Coyle picked up his 1st win of the season after getting a no decision in his first start of the year. 

Offensively, the Mounties kicked things off early. Daniel Singer (St. Mary's, PA/Elk County Catholic) led off the game with a double to left field and scored the first run after a New England error. The Mounties played small ball in the 3rd to score 3 in the frame. Joe Hudak (Central City, PA/Shanksville-Stonycreek) Singer and Jeremy Iellimo (Arnold, PA/Valley Area) all laid down successful bunt singles and scored on a Matthew McCourt (Mullica Hill, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) sac fly and an error. 

In the 5th, the Mounties tacked on 3 additional runs. Iellimo led off the inning with a single and was moved into scoring position on a Sam Keibler (Kittaning, PA/Kittaning) single to left. They then used an error and two wild pitches to score the runs. After the Pilgrims were able to cut the lead to 3, the Mounties tacked on 2 runs in the 9th. McCourt hit a lead off double down the left field line, and scored on an error. Nicholas Belka (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) followed that up with a long drive off the left field wall to drive in the final run.

Singer finished the game 2-5 while Iellimo and McCourt went 2-4 with an RBI each. Belka knocked in 2 runs. 

In the second game of the day, the Mounties faced an overmatched Valley Forge team that was 1-7 before the contest. The Mounties jumped ahead early and were able to close out Valley Forge in a run rule shortened 7 innings.

Aaron Shinn (Woodbridge, VA/CD Hylton) threw a one-hit complete game shutout to pick up his first career win. After hitting the first batter, Shinn retired the next 12 batters in a row. After allowing a leadoff single in the 5th, Shinn quickly got Valley Forge to ground into a double play and closed the game by retiring the final 8 batters.

The Mountie offense started right away with walks to Singer and Iellimo and a line drive triple down the left field line from McCourt. The Mounties found themselves up 3 after a Keibler RBI groundout finished the scoring in the inning. The offense continued to roll in the second as the first 4 batters recorded hits to start the inning. After a Hudak infield single and steal of second base, Trevor Miller (Pittsburgh, PA/Penn Hills) hit a single to center to drive him in. Alan Mackey (Altoona, PA/Altoona) drove a long double off the left field wall to score another, but was thrown out at the plate after a Singer single through the left side of the infield. McCourt singled to left to drive in the final run of the inning.

The 3rd inning saw the Mounties score 4 more. Pat Mahon (Pittsburgh, PA/Allegheny CC) hit a triple down the left field line to start another rally. Two walks loaded the bases before Mackey drilled another double to the gap to score two more, and Singer drove a single to center to score the final two runs.

With an early 10 run lead, the Mounties used the big lead to give some underclass players some valuable playing time to finish the game. Cody Smith (Loysville, PA/West Perry) collected 2 late hits, including a line drive double in the 6th over the left fielders head. Miller finished the scoring in the 6th, driving in Smith with a single through the left side.

Singer, McCourt, Smith, Miller and Mackey all collected multiple hits in the game, with Singer and Iellimo reaching base in all three of their at bats. McCourt and Mackey drove in 2 each. 

The wins moved the Mounties record to 3-1 overall. They will be right back in action tomorrow, as they will take on Penn College in a doubleheader.