They were down 8-0 in the second inning. They gave up seven home runs. They hit a walk-off on a passed ball. And yet, somehow, the story of this game was all Saint Joseph’s.
Trailing big, the Hawks turned Smithson Field into a launching pad on Saturday, exploding for a 13-run sixth inning and ultimately run-ruling Davidson, 25-15, in one of the most chaotic, stat-stuffed, and oddly glorious wins in program history.
And yes, that’s a real score.
What just happened?
Davidson hit four home runs in the first two innings — including three in a row to start the game — and led 8-0 before the home half of the second. But Saint Joe’s chipped away, and then detonated the game in the sixth, sending 16 batters to the plate and scoring 13 runs to flip a 10-7 deficit into a 20-11 lead.
Among the wild:
Joey Pagano went 5-for-6 with four runs and four RBI.
Owen Petrich scored five times, drove in five, and was intentionally walked just before a two-run double.
Blake Primrose collected six RBI and four hits — and was in the middle of just about every rally.
Tim Dickinson hit a no-doubt three-run blast to cap the sixth.
Joey Gale was hit by a pitch three times, tying a program record that hadn’t been touched since 2014.
Oh, and Colton Book? He quietly struck out five in four innings to break the Hawks’ single-season strikeout record (92), surpassing Will McCausland’s mark set last season.
And Davidson?
All you need to know is this: Cider Canon hit four home runs and went 5-for-5 — and still ended up on the losing side of a mercy rule.
Only in college baseball.
