WORCESTER, Mass. Senior Tyler Geffert (Hopedale, Mass.) went 4-for-8 during a double-header split with Assumption College as American International won game-one, 8-6 and dropped game-two 8-4, in Northeast-10 Conference baseball action this afternoon from Rochelaeu Field.
The split moves AIC to 5-10 overall while the Greyhounds move to 6-9 on the year.
The Hounds opened the scoring early in game-one as in the bottom of the second freshman Hunter Tralli (Berlin, Conn.) registered a sacrifice fly for the 1-0 edge.
The Jackets responded in the ensuing half inning as senior Eddie Ritch (Dobbs ferry, N.Y.) opened the frame with a bunt single before touching home on a two-run homer to right by Geffert for the 2-1 advantage.
Assumption came right back in the bottom half of the fourth, however, as junior Jake Byrne (Grafton, Mass.) laced an RBI double for the 2-2 tie.
AIC grabbed the lead back in the top of the sixth as junior K. J. White (Wilbraham, Mass.) and Ritch both collected RBI base-knocks to center for the 4-2 margin. The visitors expanded that further in the eighth as sophomore Reed Phillips (East Longmeadow, Mass.) knocked home a run with a single before a pair of runners crossed home on wild pitches and junior Chris Starcun (Easthampton, Mass.) capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly for the 8-3 advantage.
The Greyhounds would rally during their last two at-bats plating one run in the eighth and a pair in the ninth, but their rally fell short as senior Mike Coyne (El Cajon, Calif.) closed the door picking up his firstsave of the season.
Junior Brian Karp (Bellemore, N.Y.) picked up the victory to move to 2-1 on the year after hurling the first seven innings allowing three runs on nine hits with two walks and six strikeouts.
The hosts wasted little time getting on the board in game-two as Assumption grabbed one in the first and exploded for five runs on five hits in the bottom of the second. The big blow was a two-run double from senior Colin Clancy (Chelmsford, Mass.) for the 6-0 edge.
The Hounds added a solo run in the fourth before the Jackets eventually got on the board in the seventh as senior Karl Kapinos (South Hadley, Mass.) singled home Geffert for the 7-1 score. AIC clawed close in the seventh adding a pair on a two-run double from senior Brett Bohl (Ludlow, Mass.) and after an Assumption sac-fly in the bottom half of the inning White singled in a run in the eighth for the 8-4 final.
Geffert had a pair of doubles and runs scored in game-two as the only Jacket with multiple hits. Assumption outhit the visitors 15-7 in the finale.
Senior Colin Sledzik (Higganum, Conn.) was dealt the loss hurling the first four frames while surrendering seven runs on ten hits with a pair of walks and one strikeout to fall to 1-2 on the year. Freshman Dimitri Bryant (Ludlow, Mass.) hurled the final 1.1 innings without surrendering a run in a strong performance.
AIC returns to action tomorrow with a twin-bill at Mercy with first-pitched scheduled for noontime.
