SPRINGFIELD, Mass. Senior Lucas Vallas (East Northport, N.Y.) combined to go 4-for-7 with a homer to help propel American International to a doubleheader sweep of Adelphi in Northeast-10 Southwest division action this afternoon from Bedard Field.
AIC took game-one 6-2 before capturing the doubleheader and series sweep with a 6-1 victory in the nightcap.
With the victories the Jackets improve to 13-19 on the year and 8-7 in divisional action while the Panthers fall to 15-17 overall and 7-7 in NE-10 SW play.
Both squads pushed a run across in the third inning of game-one as Adelphi sophomore Robert Vani (Garden City, N.Y.) lifted a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield in the top half and graduate student Dave Clark (West Springfield, Mass.) singled home junior Eddie Ritch (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.) who singled to start the bottom half of the frame for the 1-1 score.
The Jackets then grabbed the lead in the bottom of the fifth as junior Aidan Farrell (Mansfield, Mass.) laced the first pitch he saw into left center to plate freshman C.J. Boykin (Nashua, N.H.) who had registered a one-out walk earlier in the inning for the 2-1 edge.
Then in the bottom of the sixth American International hung a four-spot on the board thanks to a two-run homer to left by senior Lucas Vallas (East Northport, N.Y.) and a two-run double down the left field line by junior Tyler Geffert (Hopedale, Mass.) for the 6-1 lead.
The Panthers answered to get one back in the top of the seventh as senior Vincent Sharkey (Lynbrook, N.Y.) executed a perfect squeeze bunt to score junior Ray Triano (Brick, N.J.) for the 6-2 final.
Senior David Kerlejza (Unionville, Conn.) earned the decision after going the distance allowing two runs on nine hits with seven strikeouts to improve to 3-1 on the year.
Adelphi freshman Michael Tarpey (Uniondale, N.Y.) was dealt the loss to fall to 1-3 on the year after allowing two runs on six hits over 2.1 innings pitched.
Starcun, Boykin and Vallas each had multiple hit efforts in the opening game as AIC outhit the visitors 11-9. Triano went 3-for-4 in the opener for the Panthers.
AIC started early in the finale as with runners on the corners and no outs in the first Boykin broke for home on a back pick attempt at first by the catcher, Starcun then doubled home Geffert two batters later and crossed home on an RBI groundout by freshman Alex LaFayette (Ludlow, Mass.) for the 3-0 lead.
The Jackets added to their lead in the bottom of the third as freshman Eugene Quirk (Matawan, N.J.) singled sharply to centerfield to plate a pair for the 5-0 advantage. Starcun then added a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh to push the lead to 6-0.
Adelphi finally got on the board in the ninth as senior Nick Zito (Nesconset, N.Y.) lifted a solo homerun to right field, but that was all the Panthers managed as junior starting pitcher Harrison Paige (Springfield, Mass.) fanned the final batter to earn the decision and improve to 4-3 on the year.
Paige used just 93 pitches as he scattered four hits while walking one and striking out six. Adelphi sophomore John Thompson (Walden, N.Y.) was dealt the loss to fall to 1-1 on the year as he went the first six surrendering all six runs on 10 hits with two walks and a pair of strikeouts.
Boykin added two more hits in the finale to finish the day 4-for-7 with four runs scored while Quirk turned in a 2-for-4 effort with a pair of runs batted in for the Jackets who outhit the Panthers 10-4 in the finale.
AIC returns to action with a non-conference battle against LIU Post on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. on Long Island.
