SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The American International College baseball team split a Northeast-10 Southwest Division doubleheader with No. 21 Southern Connecticut State University Saturday afternoon at AIC Park, winning game-one 9-2 before dropping game-two 5-1.

The Yellow Jackets record now stands at 14-24-1 overall, 6-17-1 in the Northeast-10 and 3-12-1 in the Southwest Division, while the Owls are now 28-14 overall, 15-9 in the NE-10 and 10-5 in the Southwest Division.

AIC never trailed in game-one, opening a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second on an RBI-double from senior Dennis Duffy (Warwick, R.I.) and a two-RBI double from sophomore Dave Clark (West Springfield, Mass.). The score remained that way until the seventh when the Yellow Jackets scored one run on Clark's single to right and senior Julian Concepcion's (Woodstock Valley, Conn.) single through the left side.

AIC used a string of doubles to extend its lead to 9-0 in the eighth before Southern Connecticut finally got on the board with a pair of runs in the top of the ninth for the 9-2 final. Senior Ryan Geffert (Plymouth, Pa.) drove in the Owls' first run with a single up the middle and senior Kyle Cummings (Hamden, Conn.) scored from third on sophomore T.J. Shea's (Hamden, Conn.) ground out to second.

Clark went 4-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored, while Duffy went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs. Sophomore Cam MacDonald (Weymouth, Mass.) went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and one driven in, while classmate Dan Asselin (Chicopee, Mass.) was 3-for-4 and scored twice.

Freshman Ryan Acavedo (Poway, Calif.) improved to 2-3 after allowing two runs (one earned) with seven strikeouts in eight-plus innings of work. Classmate Steve Pino (Putman Valley, N.Y.) got the final three outs to secure the win. Junior Steve Landell (Higganum, Conn.) took the loss after allowing five runs on eight hits with nine strikeouts in six innings.

SCSU took a 1-0 lead in the second game when senior Peter Testa (Orange, Conn.) scored on classmate Sam Greenberg's (Guilford, Conn.) sacrifice fly to right in the top of the third and the Yellow Jackets answered in the bottom of the fifth when Duffy scored on MacDonald's single up the middle.

Senior Greg Pacelli (Hamden, Conn.) gave the Owls the lead for good with a two-out bases-loaded sacrifice fly to center that scored senior Bryan Dorsey (Cheshire, Conn.) and Southern Connecticut took advantage of three AIC errors it the ninth that led to three unearned runs for the 5-1.

Freshman Cole Bryant (Newington, Conn.) allowed just one run on seven hits with nine strikeouts in seven and one-third innings the earn the win on the mound, improving his record to 5-2, while classmate Pat Egan (Aberdeen, N.J.) fanned four batters in the final one and two-thirds to earn his third save. Junior Matt Lee (Stratford, Conn.) fell to 1-5 with the loss after a strong outing for the Yellow Jackets, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks with six strikeouts in six and two-third innings.

Dorsey was 2-for3 with two runs scored, while freshman Nick Baviello (Orange, Conn.) drew a pair of walks and also scored two runs. Cleary was 2-for-4 with a run scored.

The two teams will meet again Sunday for the rubber match of the three-game series. First-pitch is set for 1 p.m. at AIC Park.