SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - Down 5-0 heading into the bottom of the third, the American International College baseball team clawed back into its Northeast-10 Conference matchup with Pace University before a 3-run triple in the eighth helped the Yellow Jackets to a 9-5 win on Saturday, April 9.
FAST FACTS:
FINAL SCORE: AIC 9, Pace 5
RECORDS: The Yellow Jackets rise to 8-17 overall with a 2-7 record in the NE10, while the Setters drop to 12-11 with a 4-5 conference mark
LOCATION: Richard F. Bedard Field, Springfield, Massachusetts
KEY STATS:
Pace:
Nicholas Montagna: 3-for-4, one run
Mitchell McCabe: 2-for-5, one run, one RBI
Andrew Primm: 1-for-2, one run, one RBI, two walks
Christian Aitch: No decision, 6.0 IP, three runs on five hits, two walks, four strikeouts
Nelson Arroyo: Loss (0-1), 2.0 IP, six runs on five hits, two walks, two strikeouts
AIC:
Alejandro Mosquera: 3-for-4, three RBI
Angel Mendez: 1-for-3, one triple, two runs, 3 RBI
Mason St. Pierre: No decision, 4.0 IP, five runs (three earned) on six hits, two walks, four strikeouts
Brandon Gaul: Win (1-0), 5.0 IP, no runs on five hits, no walks, two strikeouts
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Setters wasted no time as they scored two runs in the first thanks to a walk followed by a triple by Mitchell McCabe and a double by Luke Jacobi. That lead doubled to 4-0 in the second with only one hit, as a hit batter, error, and runner reaching on a dropped third strike followed by a sacrifice fly plated a pair.
- In the third, small ball put Pace up 5-0 as a Matt Almonte single was turned into a run with a wild pitch, groundout, and infield hit. AIC had an answer in the bottom half, however, as Angel Mendez was hit by a pitch and then Chad Lavelle and Michael Cruz walked. Alejandro Mosquera ripped a single between short and third to drive Mendez and Lavelle in and put his team on the board.
- Lavelle was hit by a pitch in the fifth and advanced to second on a groundout, allowing Mosquera to bring him home again with a liner to left, cutting Pace's lead to 5-3.
- In the sixth, Jackson Haker roped a two-out single up the middle and advanced on a pickoff throw that sailed wide. Michael Nazzaro also ripped a shot into center, but Haker was cut down on an excellent throw home by Almonte.
- The Setters kept AIC off the board and picked up the first two outs of the eighth on fly balls. However, Kiernan Caffrey laced a double to left-center to keep the inning alive, and was plated by a Dalton Quinn hit to left. Haker followed that with a single and Nazzaro walked to pack the bags for Mendez. The graduate student stroked a triple into the gap in left, putting AIC up 7-5. Lavelle was then hit by a pitch and stole second; both he and Mendez advanced on a wild pitch, with Mendez scoring, and Cruz doubled to right to bring Lavelle home.
- The Setters notched a single in the ninth, but could not find any runs, as AIC took the game 9-5.
GAUL GETS THE JOB DONE:
- Brandon Gaul came in in the fifth inning and was lights out in a long relief appearance.
- He needed just 60 pitches to retire the Setters over the final half of the game, and did not issue a walk as he scattered five hits in relief, fanning a pair, including McCabe in the ninth.
NEXT UP:
- The Yellow Jackets and Setters will face off on Sunday, April 10 with a doubleheader scheduled to start at noon.