Six Homers: DePaul Puts on a Power Clinic in 17–3 Rout of Ranney

It started before Ranney even had a chance to exhale.

On the very first at-bat of the game, Jason Amalbert stepped in and sent one over the fence. Just like that, DePaul had the lead, the momentum, and the tone for the entire afternoon. The Spartans rolled from that moment forward, piling up three runs in the first inning before Chris Marano walked to the mound and made sure Ranney didn't even think about responding.

Marano was the perfect complement to an offense that needed no babysitting. He was sharp, methodical, and in complete control working through Ranney's top of the lineup with the kind of ease that only comes from a pitcher who knows exactly what he's doing out there. Eleven strikeouts in five innings. Two earned runs allowed. It was an ace performance on a day when the Spartans were already in a generous mood.

The second inning added four more runs as DePaul continued to bat around a Ranney pitching staff that came in limited. The Panthers had the Monmouth County Tournament finals on their schedule tomorrow, and they weren't about to burn their top arms on a game they couldn't control. Jackson Toland and Jaydyn Dowd both went deep as the Spartans kept the foot on the gas through the middle innings, each home run a reminder that this lineup has legitimate pop from top to bottom.

Ranney's lone bright spot early came in the third, when they scratched across their first run on an unearned error a small consolation in the middle of a long afternoon. But DePaul answered every flicker of momentum before it could grow into anything meaningful.

The fifth inning was where the game turned from a blowout into a showcase. With the mercy nearly in play, DePaul kept swinging as Erick Pinales and Frank Marano went back-to-back to push the lead to 11. The Spartans continued to bat around the line up as Amalbert came up again and did what he'd done in the first inning... launched another one out of the park. His second home run of the day, finishing with 6 RBIs.

Ranney's Brody Garguilo gave the home crowd something to cheer about in the final inning, connecting for a home run that brought the Panthers to three. It was a proud swing in a tough spot and with the Monmouth County Tournament final looming tomorrow, that kind of fight matters. Garguilo finished with three RBIs on the day, showing exactly why Ranney is still a team to be taken seriously regardless of today's result.

DePaul improves to 14-2 overall and look to keep that momentum going as they gear up for their own county tournament and eventuall playoffs. Six home runs in a single game is a different kind of loud. And if you weren't already paying attention to DePaul this postseason, you probably should be now.