SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts The American International College baseball team defended its home field, defeating Southern Connecticut State University 11-6 in the Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division Quarterfinal held on Tuesday, May 11.
FAST FACTS:
FINAL SCORE: AIC 11, SCSU 6
RECORDS: AIC improves to 12-18 while SCSU drops to 8-10
LOCATION: Richard F. Bedard Field, Springfield, Massachusetts
PITCHING DECISIONS:
WIN: Joe Kemlage (2-4)
LOSS: Zach Rogers (1-2)
SAVE: None
KEY STATS:
SCSU:
Andrew Eng: 2-for-2, one double, one home run, two walks, three RBI
Michael DeMartino: 2-for-4, one home run, two runs
Chad Fedeli: 3-for-4, one home run, two RBI
Zach Rodgers: 4.2 IP, six hits, seven runs (four earned), two walks, five strikeouts
Spencer Fox: 2.2 IP, three hits, three runs, one walk, two strikeouts
AIC:
Matt Krause: 3-for-5, four RBI
Chad Lavelle: 3-for-4, one home run, two runs, three RBI
Anthony Clark: 1-for4, two runs, two RBI
Angel Mendez: 1-for-2, three runs
Joe Kemlage: 6.0 IP, five hits, two runs (one earned), three walks, 12 strikeouts
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- After both teams turned double plays in the first inning to get out of early scoring threats, the Owls struck first in the second as Michael DeMartino smacked a two-out solo shot to right center to put SCSU ahead 1-0.
- The Owls quadrupled their edge in the next inning as Chad Fedeli hit a round-tripper to lead off the frame, and after an infield single, Andrew Eng drilled a no-doubt shot to center to give the Owls a 4-0 edge. A subsequent double threatened to keep the rally going, but the runner was thrown out at third by senior catcher Anthony Clark.
- Fortune continued to smile on Clark as he reached on an error to start the home half of the frame. Rookie shortstop Angel Mendez was then hit by a pitch, and junior center fielder Brandon Gaul bounced to second, but the middle infielders both botched the play, leaving the bases loaded for graduate right fielder Matt Krause. Krause made the Owls pay for their mistakes with a hard grounder past third that plated Mendez and Clark, and Gaul came around thanks to a miscue by the left fielder to make the score 4-3 SCSU through three.
- DeMartino picked his team up in the fourth with a one-out single, and took second on a passed ball. That proved crucial, as Fedeli drove him in with a single through the right side.
- The run was quickly countered by AIC in the bottom of the fourth as sophomore second baseman Chad Lavelle stroked a home run to right, keeping AIC within one after four.
- Eng doubled with one out in the fifth for the Owls, and took third on a passed ball, but redshirt junior Joe Kemlage, who had come in in the fourth, struck a batter out and induced a groundout to end the threat.
- Mendez led off the fifth with a walk, swiped second, and took third on a wild pitch before Krause drove him home with a single to right, tying the game 5-5. Krause then advanced on a wild pitch before graduate first baseman Matt Costanza hit an infield single to give AIC first-and-third. The veteran infielder stole second without a throw, which in turn allowed him to score along with Krause on a two-run single by Lavelle, pushing AIC ahead 7-5 through five.
- Kemlage went to work in earnest, mixing his pitches well and keeping the Owls off the board through the eighth.
- In the home half of the penultimate inning, sophomore Kyle Leifert led off with a walk after being brought in as a pinch hitter, and Lavelle, instead of merely sacrificing himself, singled on a bunt that he placed brilliantly to give AIC two on with no outs. Two batters later, the duo came in as Clark crushed a double to the wall in right center. He then showed off his wheels, stealing third and ultimately scoring on a single by Mendez, who himself scored after Gaul and Krause both also singled, giving AIC an 11-5 advantage.
- In desperation mode with their season on the line, the Owls packed the bases with a double, single, and walk, and scored a run on a one-out hit batter as Eng earned an RBI by absorbing a pitch. However, Kemlage was not going to be denied the victory, and he was able to fan the four and five-spot hitters in the visiting lineup to close out the 11-6 win.
THE STRIKEOUT KING:
- Kemlage, who already led the NE10 in strikeouts by a wide margin coming into the game, struck out a dozen opposing hitters to get to 83 K on the season.
- He fanned Zach Healy for his 200th career punchout in the fourth, then drew a called strike three on Mike Ferrett in the fifth to record his 203rd strikeout, breaking the previous mark of 202 set by Tim Carroll '80 as the most by any AIC pitcher in a career based on available information.
- The 200th career strikeout was also his 73rd of the year, the most in a season by any pitcher at AIC according to available data. The previous record was held by Ken Bourque '77 and Randy Driscoll '98, who had 72 in 1974 and 1998, respectively.
A LONG ROAD TO VICTORY:
- AIC won its first postseason baseball game in 21 years.
- The previous win had been a 9-5 victory over Bryant University (then College) in the 2000 NE10 Tournament.
NEXT UP:
- AIC advances to the Southwest Division Semifinal and will visit Adelphi University on Thursday, May 13 at 3:30 p.m. in Garden City, New York.
