SPRINGFIELD, Mass. The American International College baseball team dropped a pair of contests to Le Moyne this afternoon from Richard F. Bedard Field.
The Jackets lost the opener 10-3 in a Northeast-10 Southwest Divisional battle before falling 12-6 in the finale in an Independent seven inning affair.
With the losses AIC falls to 5-16 on the year and 2-6 in divisional action while Le Moyne improves to 10-13 overall and 3-4 in NE-10 SW play.
The Dolphins opened game-one quick as sophomore Donato DiNorcia (Naples, Fla.) laced a two-run double to the gap in right center and came around to score on a double to left by classmate Mark Martin (Sauquoit, N.Y.). Martin then crossed home on a wild pitch as he was stealing third with the pitch and continued home for the 4-0 advantage.
Le Moyne grabbed another score in the top of the fourth as freshman Brian Cox (North Kingston, R.I.) ripped a run-producing single through the left side for the 5-0 edge.
The Jackets responded with a run of their own in the bottom half of the frame on a sacrifice fly by sophomore K.J. White (Wilbraham, Mass.) to score junior Tyler Geffert (Hopedale, Mass.) who doubled to start the inning for the 5-1 score.
After Le Moyne plated a pair in the top of the eighth, AIC came back with two of their own started with a lead-off pinch-hit homer high over the left field fence by freshman Alex LaFayette (Ludlow, Mass.). Then, late in the inning with the bases-loaded senior Lucas Vallas (East Northport, N.Y.) provided a run-producing out as he grounded to third for the 7-3 score.
The Green and Yellow got some insurance in the ninth, however, as with the bases loaded Martin laced a double down the left field line to plate all three runners and account for the 10-3 final.
Senior David Kerlejza (Unionville, Conn.) was dealt the loss after tossing the first 7.1 innings allowing seven runs (six earned) on five hits with three walks and a pair of strikeouts to fall to 0-2 for the year.
Dolphin sophomore Ryan O'Kane (Memphis, N.Y.) earned the decision to even his record at 1-1 on the year as he hurled the first seven plus innings allowing two runs on three hits while fanning eight. Senior closer Conor Nolan (Syracuse, N.Y.) was called upon for the save as he finished the final 1.2 innings to earn his second save of the year as he didn't surrender a hit and fanned three.
Le Moyne again started fast in game-two plating a pair of unearned tallies in the first before AIC responded with two of their own.
With runners on first and second and no outs freshman C.J. Boykin (Nashua, N.H.) took off for third and kept running to score on a wild pitch and then LaFayette ripped an RBI single to right field to tie the score at 2-2 after one inning.
The Dolphins then grabbed four more unearned scores in the top of the second with the only RBI coming on a bloop double to right field by DiNorcia to make the score 6-2.
Le Moyne followed that with six more in the fourth with the big blow being a bases clearing double from Martin for the 12-2 lead.
The Jackets did manage to get three back in the bottom of the fifth on a bases loaded walk to Geffert and on a 4-6-3 double play junior Eddie Ritch (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.) jogged home from third and freshman Boykin flew around third base and slide head first into home generating his second hustle run of the game for the 12-5 score.
AIC capped the scoring for game-two in the sixth on an RBI double to left center from White for the final score.
Freshman Nick Kennedy (Longmeadow, Mass.) falls to 0-2 for the year after allowing all 12 runs (four earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts over the first 3.2 innings of play. Freshman Jason Coscio (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) was tremendous out of the pen scattering four hits without allowing a run and fanning four over the final 3.1 innings.
Sophomore Zach Tucker (Manilus, N.Y.) earned the decision tossing 4.2 innings surrendering five runs (four earned) on six hits with three walks to improve to 1-1 on the year.
Boykin, Starcun and LaFayette each recorded two hits in game-two, but the visitors outhit the hosts 11-9 in game-two and 6-3 in game-one.
Martin went a combined 4-for-7 on the day with three doubles and eight runs batted in to lead the way for Le Moyne.
The Jackets return to action tomorrow evening for a day/night doubleheader as they travel to Southern New Hampshire with first pitch of game-one starting at 3:30 p.m.
