RINDGE, New Hampshire-The American International College baseball team was defeated in a non-conference matchup against Merrimack College by a score of 5-1.
With the loss, the Yellow Jackets slide to 3-10 overall, while the Warriors advance to 6-10 overall on the year.
Neither AIC nor Merrimack's offense had an impact until the home half of the second inning, where an RBI single drove in the first run of the game for the Warriors, giving them an early 1-0 lead.
The Yellow Jackets tried to strike back, with Josh Aviles reaching on a fielder's choice bunt, and he stole second in the next at-bat. However, Aviles saw his teammates strike out back-to-back to end the inning, stranding him in scoring position.
Another scoring drought between AIC and Merrimack was brought to an end with a three-run fifth inning. The Warriors singled to bring a runner in from third, before two more runs advanced after a dropped fly ball to center field by Avilies to give Merrimack a 4-0 edge.
The Yellow Jackets finally got on the board in the top of the sixth inning when Matt Krause singled with one out to start the offense. With two outs, Krause advanced to second base on a wild pitch to give AIC a runner in scoring position. Andrew Ciacciarelli dropped the hammer with a hard hit single to right field to drive Krause home. The Yellow Jackets tried to keep rolling, as Travis Seymour laced a ball out to left center to put runners on first and second. AIC saw their scoring chances squandered with a strike out to end the inning.
Merrimack scored their final run of the game in the bottom of the sixth with a RBI single to bring home a runner from third.
AIC gave Matt Costanza the start on the mound against the Warriors. Costanza went six full innings where he let up nine hits, five runs, four were earned and two walks as he picked up his second loss of the year. Ryan Bruning came into pitch the remaining two innings of relief, where he let up just one hit and one walk with one strikeout.
The Yellow Jackets willtake on the Assumption College Greyhounds next for a doubleheader in Haverhill, Massachusetts on Saturday, March 25 at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.
