SYRACUSE, New York - The American International College baseball team split its season finale with No. 15 Le Moyne College, highlighted by a complete-game performance from redshirt sophomore starter
Joe Pepe on Saturday, May 5.
FAST FACTS:
Game One:
Final score: AIC 5, Le Moyne 1
Winning pitcher: Joe Pepe, AIC (5-4).
Losing pitcher: Sam Walsh, Le Moyne (4-1).
Game Two:
Final score: AIC 2, Le Moyne 4
Winning pitcher: Ryan Murphy, Le Moyne (7-2). Losing pitcher:
Joe Kemlage, AIC (3-3).
Save: Barnes, Le Moyne (4).
Records: AIC moves to 19-25 overall and 10-16 in the NE10. Le Moyne is now 32-13-1 and 17-6-1 in the NE10.
Location: Dick Rockwell Field
STATS LEADERS:
Game One:
AIC:
Joe Pepe (9.0 innings pitched, one earned run, seven hits, one walk, seven strikeouts)
Reed Phillips (1-for-2, one home run, two RBI, three walks)
Brendan LaVallee (2-for-5, two RBI)
Matt Krause (1-for-4, one RBI)
Le Moyne:
Brian Cox (2-for-4)
Ben Walsh (1-for-4, one RBI)
Game Two:
AIC:
Josh Aviles (2-for-4, one double, one RBI)
Brendan LaVallee (2-for-3)
Matt Costanza (1-for-4, one RBI, one stolen base)
Jason Coscio (3.2 innings pitched, one earned run, five hits)
Le Moyne:
Ryan Murphy (7.1 innings pitched, two earned runs, nine strikeouts)
Ben Walsh (2-for-3, one home run, two RBI)
Timothy Corapi (2-for-3, one RBI)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Game One:
- Following two scoreless innings, AIC found its way on the board first in the third frame. Junior center fielder Josh Aviles led off the inning with a single and then stole second; sophomore designated hitter Matt Costanza followed with a walk, and sophomore right fielder Matt Krause sent Aviles home with a single through the right side. Costanza later scored on a bases-loaded walk issued to junior left fielder Reed Phillips, making the score 2-0 early.
- The Yellow Jackets tacked on another run in the fifth, when Phillips scored on an RBI single from sophomore third baseman Brendan LaVallee.
- Le Moyne got its first and only run of the game in the sixth, but Pepe worked his way out of the jam, leaving two runners on base with a groundout.
- AIC added an insurance run in the top of the seventh with another RBI single from LaVallee.
- For good measure, the Yellow Jackets put the game out of reach in the top of the ninth with a home run to right field from Phillips to make it 5-1. Pepe came back out for a scoreless ninth, capping his victory with a swinging strikeout.
Game Two:
- Le Moyne took advantage early in Game Two, putting up a run in the bottom of the first for an early 1-0 lead.
- AIC could do little to get to starting pitcher Ryan Murphy, not earning a baserunner until the fourth inning on a one-out bunt single from Costanza.
- The Dolphins got out to a 3-0 lead before AIC could get on the board. Redshirt senior pitcher Jason Coscio took over the final 3.2 innings in relief, holding the Le Moyne lead within reach.
- The Yellow Jackets began a rally in the top of the eighth, with freshman second baseman Angel Mendez reaching on a fielder's choice and junior pinch hitter Matthew Elliott walking to put runners on first and second with one out. The duo advanced to second and third on a wild pitch, and Mendez scored from third on an RBI single from Aviles. Elliott later scored on a fielder's choice, bringing AIC within 3-2.
- Le Moyne tacked on one more run in the bottom of the eighth to make it a 4-2 game.
BUZZWORTHY:
- Pepe pitched the first complete game of his career, moving his season ERA to 3.21.
- As a team, AIC's ERA reached 4.94, down from 5.04 a season ago and down from 6.14 in 2016.
- Phillips became one of two Yellow Jackets with multiple home runs this season, joining freshman catcher Anthony Clark in that category.
- The Yellow Jackets posted 19 wins on the year, its highest win total since 2013 and second-highest win total under head coach Nick Callini. This marks just the second time AIC has posted 19 or more wins since 1994.
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.