SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - With just two hits and no earned runs over seven innings, redshirt sophomore pitcher Joe Pepe guided the American International College baseball team to a 3-1 victory in the first game of a home doubleheader against Stonehill College on Saturday, March 24. AIC would go on to split the day with the Skyhawks.

FAST FACTS:
Game One:
Final score: AIC 3, Stonehill 1
Winning pitcher: Joe Pepe, AIC (2-1), Losing pitcher: Michael Young, Stonehill (1-2), Save: Jason Coscio (1)

Game Two:
Final score: AIC 0, Stonehill 10
Winning pitcher: Michael White, Stonehill (2-1), Losing pitcher: Joe Kemlage, AIC (3-1)

Records: AIC moves to 9-8 on the year; Stonehill is now 8-7.
Location: Bedard Field

STATS LEADERS:
Game One:
AIC:
Joe Pepe (7.0 innings pitched, two hits, no earned runs, five strikeouts, two walks)
Andrew Ciacciarelli (2-for-4, two RBI)
Matt Krause (2-for-4, one RBI)
Josh Aviles (1-for-4, one RBI)

Stonehill:
Michael Young (7.0 innings pitched, six hits, one earned run, six strikeouts, two walks)

Game Two:
AIC:
Anthony Clark (2-for-2)
Zac Brittain (4.0 innings pitched, three hits, no earned runs, four strikeouts)

Stonehill:
Alex Hurley (4-for-5, one RBI, one double)
Patrick Downey (1-for-4, three RBI, one double)
Harrison Sabo (2-for-5, two RBI)

HOW IT HAPPENED:
Game One:

• AIC got on the board first in the bottom of the third inning, starting with sophomore third baseman Matt Costanza reaching on a fielder's choice and moving into scoring position with a stolen base. Sophomore right fielder Matt Krause then reached on an error, and Costanza was able to capitalize on the shortstop's miscue, scoring to put AIC up 1-0.
• Pepe worked himself out of a jam in the top of the sixth inning, allowing a leadoff triple - the first hit he allowed all game - but following up with an out. He then issued a walk, but got the next two Skyhawks batters on a strikeout and an easy groundout to preserve the shutout.
• AIC added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning with an RBI double from junior designated hitter Matthew Elliott that scored redshirt sophomore first baseman Andrew Ciacciarelli to put the Yellow Jackets up 2-0.
• Pepe again evaded trouble in the top of the seventh, escaping a bases-loaded situation with two outs when he issued a groundout to keep Stonehill without a run.
• The Yellow Jackets allowed just one run in the entire game in the top of the eighth, a two-out RBI single from Harrison Sabo that brought Stonehill within 2-1.
• The Yellow Jackets made it a 3-1 game in the bottom half of the inning, though, with an RBI single from junior center fielder Josh Aviles.
• Redshirt senior pitcher Jason Coscio had a 1-2-3 ninth inning to record the save for the Yellow Jackets.

Game Two:

• The second game started off just as tight as the first, with just one run between the two teams through the first four innings off a third-inning RBI single from Stonehill's Sabo.
• That 1-0 lead for the Skyhawks was extended to 8-0 by the fifth inning. Stonehill added two more runs in the top of the sixth to push its lead to double digits.
• Freshman pitcher Zac Brittain didn't allow any earned runs through four innings of relief work, and Elliott stepped in as a pitcher in a scoreless ninth inning.
• AIC made a push in the bottom of the ninth, with a leadoff pinch hit single from junior Sam Eagan. Junior left fielder Pierre Martinez then had a single, and freshman catcher Matthew Finn drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. However, Stonehill pitcher Joe Klingensmith took control of the inning, and kept the Yellow Jackets from scoring.

BUZZWORTHY:

• This is the second consecutive seven-inning appearance from Pepe and also the second straight in which he has allowed no earned runs, last earning a victory over NYIT on March 16. The seven-inning showings are the longest Pepe has pitched in his collegiate career.
• Two hits mark the lowest total allowed by an AIC starting pitcher this season.
• The 10-0 final in the second game of the doubleheader was just the first time this season that AIC has been shut out by an opposing team.

COACH'S CORNER:

• "One of the things that's happened in this early part is that they've realized they're a good team," said AIC head baseball coach Nick Callini. "It's really not as much about who we're playing as much as how we're playing. So I think they've been able to compete whether we've been up or whether we've been down, so they're showing up to the park every day expecting to win and play good baseball."
• "It was a great way to start the day," Callini said about Pepe's performance. "He threw really well his last time out, and he's transitioning from a guy that we thought was going to be a closer to a guy that's going to be in our starting rotationto get that outing from him to lead off this weekend in a four-game set is really critical."

PLAYER'S CORNER:

• "Everything was working for me, I was able to throw strikes, and I just had full trust in my defense behind me to back me up," Pepe said. "It's been good. I've just been working on getting my arm strength back to normalIt's good for the team, we just need better focus coming into tomorrow and hopefully getting a sweep."

NEXT UP:

• AIC hosts Bentley University for a doubleheader on Sunday, March 25, beginning at noon.

STAY CONNECTED:

• For more updates about the AIC baseball team, follow @AIC_baseball on Instagram. For updates on all AIC Yellow Jackets teams, follow @AICAthletics on Twitter and Instagram, and like AIC Yellow Jackets on Facebook.