SPRINGFIELD, Mass. The American International baseball team stole six bases and outlasted non-conference Mercy College in the home finale at AIC Park, 3-1.
With the win AIC improves to 15-23 overall, while with the loss Mercy falls to 12-25 this season.
Behind eight pitchers, the Yellow Jackets combined to two-hit the Mavericks.
In the first, shoprtstop Eddie Ritch (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.) stole second and third, setting up first baseman Lucas Vallas' (East Northport, N.Y.) RBI single to left. Vallas himself went on to steal second, his second steal of the season.
Senior starter Daniel Guerrero (Elizabeth, N.J.) gave up the only run in the second when Mercy's Reed Farrier (Queensbury, N.Y.) grounded out to Vallas at first, but allowing Sal Palumbo (Medford, N.Y.) to scamper home from third.
Freshman Taze Piccard picked up his second win of the season after AIC went ahead with two runs in the third. Vallas knocked in designated hitter Cam MacDonald (Weymouth, Mass.) for his second RBI of the day. Sophomore catcher Mike Coyne (El Cajon, Calif.) singled in Ritch to give the Yellow Jackets the two-run cushion and the bullpen closed it out.
Sophomore Colin Sledzik (Higganum, Conn.) and senior Mike Nallan (Putnam Valley, N.Y.) took the no-hitter through four. Sledzik struck out two of three batters faced.
Sophomore Brian Karp (Bellmore, N.Y.) gave up the no-no, but got out of the inning unscathed. Kevin Arduino (Cornwall, N.Y.) struck out one in the seventh, while Derek Azzopardi (Redwood City, Calif.) blew by two and got out of a one out, bases loaded jam.
Pino closed it out in the ninth, allowing no one on and striking out one.
AIC stole six bases in nine attempts led by three from Ritch. Vallas, Justin Carey (Amherst, Mass.), and AJ Hall (Millville, Mass.) all added steals.
The top of the order was working for AIC, despite the shakeup. Vallas and Ritch, batting second and third in the lineup, each went 2-for-3 from the plate. Coyne, Hall, and MacDonald made up the other three hits for the Jackets.
Maverick starter Mark Medico (Eastchester, N.Y.) lasted longer than any AIC pitcher, throwing 116 pitches in six innings and allowing three earned off seven hits. Medico struck out three Yellow Jacket batters.
AIC returns to action Friday, May 2 at Le Moyne. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. from Syracuse, N.Y. The Yellow Jackets sit 1.5 games behind the Dolphins with three games against them scheduled this weekend.
