Feb. 21, 2010
Final Stats | Photo Gallery 1 
| Photo Gallery 2
The Siena baseball team began the 2010 season with a shocking 8-4 upset of Stetson Saturday night in Deland, Fla. Freshman Robert Tedesco started and pitched into the sixth inning and sophomore Ryan Poplawski relieved him and pitched the final 3+ innings without allowing run to earn the win. Siena's offense scored five times in the seventh to rally from a 4-3 deficit.
Anthony Giansanti, Mike Fish, Kevin Quaranto and Andrew Sawyer each had two hits for Siena.
Stetson struck first with a run in the bottom of the second inning. Aaron Crittenden, Robert Crews, and Sean Emory hit consecutive singles to load the bases. Freshman Ryan Lashley followed with an RBI fielder's choice.
Gary DerHapgopian's single tied the game in the fourth and Siena took a 3-1 lead with two runs in the fifth, the first coming on an RBI single from Fish.
Stetson responded with two runs in the bottom half of the 5th. Emory led off the inning with a walk and then with one out Simpson drilled a base hit through the hole in the left side sending Emory to third. Theisen was next and he laid down a perfect bunt just past the sprawling pitcher for a single and an RBI. Then with two outs catcher Nick Rickles smacked a single through the left side to score Simpson.
In the bottom of the 6th Stetson took a 4-3 lead on a sacrifice fly by Lashley. Crittenden, who walked to open the inning scored on the play. In the top of the 7th Siena jumped on Dechert for five runs and took the lead for good at 8-4. Fish had another RBI hit and Quaranto drove home two runs with a sharp double down the right field line.
Stetson was not able to mount an offensive attack to get back in the game. All-time it was just Siena's 3rd win over Stetson in 33 games played.
Siena's pitching, a major question mark entering the season, was tremendous. Tedesco pitched 5.2 innings allowing just three earned runs while striking out four and Poplawski allowed just two hits and struck out four in working the final 3.1 innings.
Stetson and Siena will take the field tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. in the second of the four-game series.
