DAVIDSON, N.C. – The University of Dayton baseball team won its first Atlantic 10 contest of the season, knocking off Davidson in the series finale on Sunday 11-5 at Wilson Field in Davidson, N.C.
 
The Flyers improve to 11-22 in 2021 and 1-3 in conference play, knocking a season-high 17 hits and scoring 11 unanswered runs after going down 5-0 after the first three innings.
 
Senior Riley Tirotta hit his third home run in his last two games, driving home three runs. Graduate student Chris Cabrera also homered in the Dayton victory. Senior Mariano Ricciardi extended his hitting streak to 13 games with three hits and has now reached base in 20 consecutive games. Junior Marcos Pujols also had three hits and an RBI offensively for UD.
 
Graduate student Ben Olson dominated the Wildcats, entering in relief in the third inning and pitching 6.1 scoreless innings earning his first win of the season.
 
ON THE MOUND
Sophomore Anthony Hattrup got the ball to start the game for the Flyers, going the first 2.2 innings, giving up five runs on six hits in the outing. Olson entered getting the last out in the third and took it from there. The lefty scattered three hits and struck out five over his 6.1 innings.
 
SCORING PLAYS
Bottom 1: (1-0 Wildcats)
Hattrup retired the first two Davidson hitters before giving up a 2-2 home run to right field to open the scoring for the game.
 
Bottom 2: (4-0 Wildcats)
A one-out single was followed by a double to left center to put two on. A sacrifice fly brought home the first run of the inning and after a walk, a double to right center brought home two more and extended Dayton's deficit to four.
 
Bottom 3: (5-0 Wildcats)
The Wildcats scored their fifth and final run of the game on a home run in the bottom of the third inning.
 
Top 4: (5-3 Wildcats)
A walk by Tirotta followed by a hit by pitch to graduate student Eddie Pursinger put two on. A single by Cabrera loaded the bases for senior Mitchell Garrity, who brought home the first run of the game on a ground ball to first. Junior Jay Curtis followed that with an RBI groundout of his own putting Cabrera on third. A base hit to right field by senior Michael Cleary cut the lead to two.
 
Top 5: (7-5 Flyers)
Junior Benjamin Blackwell led off the inning with a single and was followed by a single from Pujols. Tirotta's 10^th home run of the season brought home all three runs and gave Dayton a lead for the first time in the game. Two batters later Cabrera made it a two-run lead with a home run of his own.
 
Top 6: (8-5 Flyers)
Back-to-back doubles by Blackwell and Pujols to lead off the sixth inning made it 8-5 Flyers.
 
Top 8: (10-5 Flyers)
Pujols hit a one-out single to right field and he advanced to second on a walk by Tirotta. Pursinger walked to load the bases and Cabrera brought home his second run of the game on a sacrifice fly to left field. Tirotta and Pursinger both also advanced and Tirotta would score during the next at bat on a wild pitch.
 
Top 9: (11-5 Flyers)
Curtis led off the inning with a single to right field and advanced to second on a passed ball. Cleary moved him to third with a sacrifice bunt and a single by Ricciardi brought home the game's final run.
 
UP NEXT
The Flyers will return to Dayton to open a four-game series with George Mason starting Friday, April 16 at Day Air Ballpark, home of the Dayton Dragons. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 7 p.m.