MANCHESTER, N.H. – The American International College baseball team split a Northeast-10 doubleheader at Saint Anselm College Saturday afternoon, taking game-one 3-0 before being edged in game-two 3-2.
The Yellow Jackets are now 12-10 for the season and 3-6 in the NE-10, while the Hawks now stand at 9-16-1 overall and 4-6 in conference play.
AIC got the only run it would need in game-one in the top of the fourth when junior catcher
Dan Fenton scored from third on sophomore designated hitter
Lucas Vallas' ground out to short. The Yellow Jackets tacked on two more in the sixth when freshman shortstop
Eddie Ritch scored on a junior center fielder
Dave Clark's sac-fly and junior third baseman
Cam MacDonald crossed the plate on Vallas' single to left.
Junior
Matt Lee tossed a three-hit complete game shutout with five strikeouts to improve to 2-2 for the season. James Farrington fell to 1-4 with the loss after allowing three runs on five hits with six Ks in six innings.
Game-two was scoreless until the top of the sixth when Vallas scored from third on freshman second baseman Zack Kane's single through the right side, but the Yellow Jackets lead didn't last long as Saint Anselm pushed two runs across in the bottom half of the frame to take the lead for good.
Sophomore left fielder Joe Morin doubled to left center and junior designated hitter Kyle Grumoli drew a walk with one out and both moved up a base on a wild pitch. Another wild pitch scored Morin and allowed Grumoli to advance to third, and he then scored on a single to right from senior right fielder Rett Ostafin. The Hawks scored what proved to be the game-winning run the next inning when senior second baseman Richie Manzi scored on a sac-fly.
The Yellow Jackets got one run back in the top of the eight when freshman left fielder
Tyler Geffert scored from third on sophomore right fielder
David Kerlejza's ground out to short and had a chance to at least tie the game with runners on second and third and one out, but freshman Clayton Welsh got Vallas to strike out looking and then got sophomore first baseman
Mike Coyne to fly out to right to end the game.
Sophomore Ryan Cosmopulos earned the decision after allowing one run on one hit and four walks with four strikeouts in six innings to improve his record to 2-1, while Welch earned the save after not allowing a hit in 1.2 innings. Paige fell to 1-2 with the loss after allowing three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in six-plus innings.
The Yellow Jackets will next travel to Saint Michael's College Sunday for a Northeast-10 doubleheader. Game-one is set to begin at noon
