NEW HAVEN, Conn. Graduate Student Dave Clark (W. Springfield, Mass.) extended his hitting streak to eight games with a 3-for-5 performance, but the American International College baseball team dropped a tough Northeast-10 Southwest Division contest at Southern Connecticut State University, 15-11, this afternoon from the Ballpark at SCSU.
Southern Connecticut improves to 10-11 on the year and 2-3 in divisional action while AIC drops to 3-10 on the year and 0-2 in SW division play.
SCSU started things quickly in the first grabbing a run on a lead-off single by junior Matt Burns (Cheshire, Conn.) who crossed home on a sacrifice fly by senior Nick Baviello (Orange, Conn.) for the 1-0 lead.
The Owls tacked on three more in the bottom half of the third without the benefit of a hit out of the infield as they scored runs on a balk, a fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly with the only base-knock being an infield hit to third base.
The Jackets responded getting one back in the top of the fourth as freshman Chris Starcun (Easthampton, Mass.) singled and came around to score on a base-knock by junior Eddie Ritch (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.) for the 4-1 score.
Defense broke down a bit in the bottom half of the frame for AIC as they committed five errors which led to five runs, only two earned, highlighted by a two-run single by Baviello for the 9-1 advantage.
AIC fought back plating six of their own in the top of the fifth highlighted by Starcun and Ritch with run-producing singles and sophomore K.J. White (Wilbraham, Mass.) laced a two-run double to center for the 9-7 score.
Southern Connecticut got one back in the bottom half of the frame on an RBI single from Burns for the 10-7 lead.
SCSU continued to add runs plating five over the next two frames including an RBI single in the sixth and RBI two-bagger in the seventh by senior Joe Breen (Nashua, N.H.) and a run-producing base-knock in the seventh from Burns for the 15-7 cushion.
AIC didn't go quietly in the ninth as Starcun led off with a single and scored on an RBI double by Kerlejza and freshman C.J. Boykin (Nashua, N.H.) plated a pair with a double of his own. Clark then stepped to the dish and drove him home with a two-bagger to right field for the 15-11 final.
Junior Harrison Paige (Springfield, Mass.) picked up the loss to fall to 0-3 on the year after tossing the first five plus innings allowing 12 runs (10 earned) on eight hits with four free passes and a trio of strikeouts.
Senior Pat Egan (Aberdeen, N.J.) couldn't make it out of the fifth inning to earn the decision as he tossed the first 4.2 innings allowing seven runs on 10 hits with a pair of walks and four punch-out's while junior Jordan Picini (Attleboro, Mass.) collected the victory to even his record at 1-1 after hurling the final 4.1 innings allowing four runs on six hits while fanning four.
AIC outhit the hosts 16-15 for the game as Ritch and Starcun joined Clark with a trio of hits as each turned in 3-for-5 efforts at the dish while Geffert and sophomore Garrett Demers (Cranston, R.I.) had two hits apiece.
SCSU was led by a 5-for-6 performance by Burns from the lead-off spot while Breen, Baviello, sophomore Ethan Joyce (Exeter, N.H.) and junior Alex Wichmann (Granby, Conn.) all had a pair of hits for the hosts.
American International returns to action Saturday with a twin-bill back at Southern Connecticut with the first game starting at noon.
