NEWS

 

MERION STATION, Pa. — Michael Carico hit a go-ahead, record-tying home run in the seventh inning Saturday to help Davidson edge Saint Joseph’s 8-7 and secure its fourth Atlantic 10 Conference sweep and 40th win of the season.

With their ninth straight win, the Wildcats are a program-best 40-9 and 18-3 in the A-10 with three league games to go.

“I’m really proud of this team for how they competed this weekend,” said coach Rucker Taylor. “Good or bad, they played with confidence and found a way. This group has played that way throughout this season, and their consistency continues to impress us.”

Carico’s two-run shot to left-center came in a five-run seventh in which the Wildcats overcame a one-run deficit. It’s his 18th homer of the season, which ties Will Robertson ’17 atop the Davidson single-season list.

“That at-bat was really special — really, really special,” said Taylor. “Mike was in a lot of pain from a foul ball he took the prior inning catching. He toughed it out and had a great swing off a very good arm. He’s a tough person, mentally and physically.”

The homer gave the Wildcats a 5-4 lead, and they added to it with Jacob Hinderleider’s RBI-single and John Hosmer’s two-RBI double.

The Wildcats eventually needed all of those runs to hold off the Hawks, who pulled within one on Brett Hueth’s three-run homer later in the seventh. Saint Joseph’s then loaded the bases with one out in the ninth before Will Schomberg (2 IP, save) forced a foul out to catcher Garrett Browder and a hard-hit line out to second baseman Jake Wilhoit to end it.

Hosmer finished the day with three hits and four RBIs, also including a second-inning double and a solo home run, his seventh of the year. Wilhoit had an RBI-sac fly in the second, and Hinderleider finished with three hits.