Baseball smoked at the Vet

(Penn - 6, St. Joe's - 13)

It is generally a good sign when a baseball team's offense puts some "crooked numbers" up on the scoreboard.

It is not quite as profitable, however, when the defense decides to do this.

Such was the case last night as Penn (4-12) committed eight errors in a 13-6 rout by St. Joseph's (3-17-1).

The contest was played as part of the 11th annual Liberty Bell Classic at Veterans Stadium, an eight-team tournament from which the Quakers have now been eliminated.

The miscues came early and often for a Red and Blue squad that has found tremendous difficulty in putting together all facets of its game.

Last night, the hitting was acceptable, the pitching -- for most of the game -- was satisfactory, but the fielding was embarrassing for the Quakers.

"Defense was definitely a problem tonight. I think it was just about everything, and -- believe it or not -- I don't think the [artificial] turf played much of a role," Penn junior co-captain Nick Italiano said.

"Unfortunately, we just made some bad throws and made some bad plays at key moments. We really have to step it up on defense --ÿthere's no doubt about it."

Penn coach Bob Seddon was clearly disappointed with his club's performance, as he disregarded the 40-degree temperature to address the players in an extended meeting in front of the first base dugout.

While he was displeased by other aspects of the game as well, Penn's glovework took center stage.

"We have not played good defense since day one," Seddon said. "I thought we had turned the corner a little bit in the last few days, but this has been a problem."

The very first play of the night proved to be a harbinger of things to come.

St. Joe's second baseman Jaon Tarewicz led off the game with a lined shot that ricocheted off the mound directly to Penn shortstop Steve Glass. What momentarily seemed like good fortune quickly became a bad omen.

Glass not only pulled Andrew McCreery off the bag, but the junior first baseman also sustained an injury to his leg in reaching for the high throw. He would be replaced in the second inning.

The error opened the floodgates for the Hawks to post five runs in the top of the first, of which only two were earned. Penn starting pitcher Mark Lacerenza surrendered another unearned run in the second, but had himself partly to blame. After walking Tarewicz, he tried to pick him off, but the throw escaped into right field.

Then, to add even more of a Bad News Bears flavor to the evening, right fielder Mike Goldblatt threw wildly to third in an effort to nab Tarewicz who sought to take the extra base. The run scored.

Tarewicz, by virtue of a base on balls followed by consecutive errors on the same play, crossed the plate with St. Joe's sixth run of the game.

Italiano, who also played solidly in the field, had another productive night at bat.

After having never hit a home run for Penn before Saturday, he hit his second in five days at the Vet. It came in the bottom of the first, and was a high, towering blast that cleared the 330 sign down the right field line.

"I'll always consider myself a singles and doubles hitter, but I'll get a mistake every once in a while and hit a home run," Italiano said.

The second baseman nailed a two-run triple into the left-center field gap in the second inning to finish 2 for 5 with 4 RBIs for the night.

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