GREENSBORO, N.C. – Marcello Ricigliano (Kernersville, N.C.) shined in game one, but ultimately the unearned runs did the Guilford College baseball team in, as they opened their 2024 season by getting swept at the hands of the University of Mount Union, 3-2 in nine innings, and then 14-3 on Saturday afternoon at Edgar H. McBane Field. The Quakers allowed seven unearned runs across the two games in the defeats.

It was the season openers for both sides, thus resulting in the Purple Raiders advancing to 2-0 while GC dropped to 0-2.

Ricigliano hurled five scoreless frames, allowing just three baserunners, two on hits and one as a hit batsman, while also striking out four, but did not factor into the decision in game one. The same was true for UMU starter Zachary Breeden who did not allow a hit but did walk three against four strikeouts, allowing a pair of runs, both earned across 5.1 innings. Instead, it was Brady Hanson who earned the game one victory throwing 3.2 scoreless innings in relief, improving to 1-0 in the process. Ty Clark (Stoneville, N.C) took the tough-luck loss allowing an unearned run in the second of his two innings of relief to fall to 0-1.

Offensively, Aaron Williams (Mocksville, N.C.) came away with Guilford's lone hit, driving in a run across a 1-for-4 day at the plate in game one. Carter Blum (McLeansville, N.C.) worked a pair of walks, stealing a bag, and scoring both Guilford runs in the contest. Three different Purple Raiders recorded an RBI in the game, but it was Zack Mazza who plated the game winner, in addition to scoring once across his 1-for-4 day. Nathan Grega was the only player with multiple hits for either team in the game, as he went 2-for-4.

Jackson Marcellus (Chapel Hills, N.C.) got hammered in his season-opening start, allowing six runs on seven hits across 3.0-plus. He struck out three and did not walk a batter, although he did plunk a pair and took the loss in game two to fall to 0-1. Leo Fornara did enough to grab the win for the Purple Raiders, meeting the qualifier for a seven-inning game by hurling the first 4.0 innings allowing three runs, all earned, on seven hits and a walk while fanning six to improve to 1-0.

Guilford did not see any batters record multiple hits in game two either, although Nick Boles (Madison, N.C.) went 1-for-2 with a double, a walk, and an RBI. Vince Armeni, Jared Lehman, and Eric Schilling each drove in three runs in the winning effort in game two for Mount Union. Mazza drove in a pair of runs while scoring three more and Andrew Witte also scored thrice in the contest.

GAME 1
Mount Union got a runner in scoring position in the first against Marcello Ricigliano (Kernersville, N.C.) but nothing came of it before the Guilford offense went to work in the home half. Carter Blum (McLeansville, N.C.) fell behind in the count, but worked his way back to earn a leadoff walk. He took second on a tremendous dirt-ball read before a Michael Sumner (Mooresville, N.C.) flyout to right and an Isaiah Hairston (High Point, N.C.) RBI groundout to second advanced him the final 180 feet as the Quakers grabbed the lead without registering a hit in the first.

Both starters, settled in from there. Ricigliano retired 12 of the next 14 Purple Raiders he faced, only allowing a single and a hit batsman in the third, maneuvering around them successfully. Zachary Breeden really locked in for Mount Union, setting down the next 13 Quakers to extend his consecutive batters retired to 16 total before Nick Boles (Madison, N.C.) finally broke the streak by drawing a free pass with one out in the fifth that proved fruitless.

Things got interesting in the sixth as both sides got on the board in the frame. Ricigliano' terrific opening day start came to a close as GU turned to Chase Wade (Archdale, N.C.). UMU got back-to-back singles sandwiched between the first two outs and it looked like he was going to escape unscathed as he induced a grounder to second, but it was booted allowing the tying run to score. Vince Armeni followed with a single to put the guests in front, and while Wade avoided further damage, Mount Union had the lead.

The Quakers evened things in the home half and it once again began with a Blum free pass, this time with one away. His walk concluded the outing for Breeden who served as a spectator as reliever Brady Hanson surrendered the advantage. Blum advanced on a wild pitch although the second out was recorded before the Purple Raiders decided they wanted no part of Hairston who they walked intentionally Aaron Williams (Mocksville, N.C.) made them pay, collecting what would ultimately be the team's lone base hit in game one, driving in Blum and tying things at two apiece.

Guilford got single quality innings from Logan Dodson (Eden N.C.) and Ty Clark (Stoneville, N.C) in the seventh and eighth as we got free baseball out of the scheduled seven inning tilt. But Mount Union broke through against Clark in the ninth with an unearned run. GC, on the other hand, managed just a single baserunner across the final three innings against Hanson and fell, 3-2.

GAME 2
Mount Union's offense got right to work against Guilford starter Jackson Marcellus (Chapel Hills, N.C.) in the first inning of game two. Three consecutive singles opened the frame, with the third, off the bat of Nathan Grega, opening the scoring. Some free bases from errors and wild pitches with a couple of Sacrifice Flies mixed in resulted with the guests having a 3-0 lead before a Quaker had even stepped into the batter's box.

GC responded in the home half. Back-to-back infield hits from Grayson Tudor (Reidsville, N.C.) and Michael Sumner (Mooresville, N.C.) put two on with none out and Tudor advanced another 90 on a flyout by Isaiah Hairston (High Point, N.C.). Chase Wade (Archdale, N.C.) cashed in with an RBI single to the opposite field, but a pair of strikeouts by UMU starter Leo Fornara extinguished the threat.

The guests pieced together a run in the third before Guilford closed the gap in the bottom of the frame. Hairston picked up his first hit of the new year with one out and would come all the way around to score on a Nick Boles (Madison, N.C.) two-bagger two batters later. Skyler Dark (Pleasant Garden, N.C.) chased in Boles later in the frame making the score 4-3.

Unfortunately, Mount Union would break things open in the fourth. A pair of singles to open the inning ended Marcellus's outing in favor of Stratton Barwick (Siler City, N.C.) who would see things unravel, although he would not get any help. Barwick allowed the two inherited runs to score, in addition to a quartet of unearned tallies that were charged against him. Dylan King (Rock Hill, S.C.) would take the hill and get out of the jam, but all of a sudden, the score was 10-3.

The Purple Raiders tacked on four more in the sixth, including two more unearned runs, bringing the final tally to 14-3.

Guilford looks to salvage a game in their season-opening set when they host Mount Union in the series finale on Sunday at 1:00 PM.