SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - The American International College baseball team and Saint Anselm College split a pair of Northeast 10 Conference contests, 13-7 and 2-0, on Saturday, March 21, and both teams were victimized by Mother Nature the following day in the third inning of the back half of the doubleheader, as the games were postponed due to heavy rain.

AIC is now 9-9 on the season and 5-1 in the NE10.

The Yellow Jackets landed the first run of the series quickly, as Yeudy Ramirez tripled into the gap in right to lead off the first inning, and two batters later was driven home by a Leandro Guevara single to left. 

An inning later, AIC added to its lead in a big way; after Aidan Streeter led off with a base hit, Wesley Alfonso took an 0-2 pitch deep over the right-field wall for a 3-0 advantage.

Just as quickly as AIC had jumped in front, the Hawks roared back. An infield hit was followed by a two-run shot by Coleson Kaluza, and a triple followed by a single tied the game. A walk, an RBI groundout, and a fielding error combined to push two more runs across, and suddenly the Hawks held a 5-3 lead.

In the fourth, the visiting squad added another; three straight singles scored another run, with Kaluza driven in by George Slauson for his second RBI in as many frames. 

AIC needed to get its offense clicking, and in the fifth it happened in a massive way. Sam Tanous led off with a walk, followed by a Ramirez double to center. Both came home on Guevara's single to left, and the senior followed to the dish on a Josh Frometa double to left-center that tied things up.

The Yellow Jackets continued to cook as Richie Segura singled to left, scoring Frometa, and the catcher took second on the throw home. That proved valuable as Streeter smacked a double down the line in right, giving AIC an 8-6 lead. Albis Felix then walked, and after both advanced on a flyout, Tanous came back to the plate for the second time in the inning. He drove a 1-1 pitch into center, bringing home a pair.

AIC ended up loading the bases as Ramirez was hit by a pitch and Cole Patterson reached on an infield hit up the middle, allowing Guevara another trip to the plate; he took a 3-1 offering and smacked it to center to bring home Tanous and Ramirez, and AIC's lead was 12-6.

The Hawks threatened in the eighth, loading the bases, but Romel Roca came in and cut down the comeback hopes, fanning Jackson Powers with five straight strikes to leave the bags packed.

Both teams scored in their final inning at the plate; Guevara walked and stole second before Streeter brought him in with a single, and Peter Fischer hit a two-out solo home run in the ninth for the 13-7 final.

Greg Sherokow worked 4.2 innings of relief, allowing just four runners against four punchouts, to earn the win.

For all the offense in game one, the second game was quiet. All the scoring came in the top of the third in a two-out rally as Kaluza was hit by a pitch and stole second, Mavrick Bourdeau singled to bring him home and also swiped second, and Powers doubled to center to score Bourdeau. 

With Saturday split, Sunday grew that much more in importance for both teams, who also were rushing against the sky. Kaluza wasted no time, doubling to lead off and scoring on a Powers groundout after Bourdeau singled.

AIC answered just as quickly. Cole Patterson struck out, but the pitch he fanned on was wild, and as a result he reached first base. Guevara immediately punished the Hawks for the miscue as he tripled into the right-field corner to bring Patterson in, and Frometa ripped a shot through the right side that was just out of the reach of the second baseman to give AIC the lead.

The Hawks added individual runs in the second and third; a walk and two hits tied the game in the top of the second, and after AIC left second and third in the home half, Powers singled to right and stole second; after a walk and a groundout, he came home on a sacrifice fly.

The rain had arrived by this point, and so did AIC's bats. Frometa tied the game with a solo shot on a 1-2 pitch that kept on the fair side of the left-field line, and then AIC began to work walks. Segura, Streeter, and Alfonso all earned full-count free passes, and Tanous drew four balls on five tosses to force Segura home. Ramirez was hit by the next pitch, pushing Streeter across. 

At that point, the umpires gathered, and put a halt to the game. Optimism that a break in the storm might allow the game to be concluded gave way to pragmatism, and the teams agreed to resume play on Tuesday, March 24 at Bedard Field, completing the third game and playing the fourth and final game of the series.