Eastern’s bats stole the show in a 14-4, run-rule win over Rivier, pounding out 17 hits—eight for extra bases—on the way to their fifth win of the season. But the real story? Robert Del Buono. The junior hit for the cycle, drove in three, scored three, and even swiped a bag for good measure. It’s the only recorded cycle in at least 20 years of Eastern baseball.
Brennan Moloughney picked up his first career win, striking out five over five innings, but he could’ve spent most of the night in the dugout. The Eagles put up four multi-run innings, including a 12-2 lead by the fifth. Del Buono, Brian Lang, and David Sharp each went deep in the offensive explosion.
The closest Eastern’s come to a cycle before? There have been some near misses. Last year, Thomas Koslusky and Justin DiCesare flirted with it in a wild 23-13 loss at Neumann. In 2021, Matt McHale had four hits, including a triple and a homer at York. Back in 2019, Jake Jones was a triple shy in a 17-3 win over Chatham. And in 2009, Andrew Reynolds had all three extra-base hits in a loss to Manchester.
Next up, Eastern wraps up its spring break trip with a 9 a.m. matchup against Houghton. The Eagles already took down the Highlanders 8-3 earlier in the week.
In Other Philly D-III Action
Gwynedd Mercy rolled to an 8-3 win over Fitchburg State at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational, powered by a standout performance from freshman catcher Gabe Tomei. The Manahawkin, N.J. native went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, including a two-run blast to right in the seventh—his second homer of the season. On the mound, freshman Brayden Scott picked up the win, going 6.1 innings while allowing three runs on eight hits, walking two, and striking out three.