Mendez records 100th career hit as baseball drops games on senior day
SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - The American International College baseball team dropped both games on a doubleheader on Saturday, April 30 to Southern Connecticut State University in Northeast-10 Conference play.
FAST FACTS:
Game 1:
FINAL SCORE: SCSU 13, AIC 8
RECORDS: AIC moves to 11-29 (5-16 NE10) while SCSU moves to 27-10 (11-6 NE10)
Win: J. Nemchek (2-1), Loss: Brandon Gaul (1-5)
Game 2:
FINAL SCORE: SCSU 11, AIC 2
RECORDS: AIC moves to 11-30 (5-17 NE10) while SCSU moves to 28-10 (12-6 NE10)
Win: S. Phillips (8-1), Loss: Mason St. Pierre (3-5)
LOCATION: Richard F. Bedard Field - Springfield, Massachusetts
KEY STATS:
Game 1:
AIC:
Brandon Gaul: Loss (1-5), 6.0 innings pitched, 12 hits, 12 runs, five earned runs, 108 pitches
Jackson Haker: 0-for-3, two RBI
Michael Nazzaro: 1-for-4, two RBI
Angel Mendez: 1-for-3, one RBI, two runs
Michael Cruz: 1-for-2, one RBI, one run
Kiernan Caffrey: 1-for-3, one RBI, one run
SCSU:
J. Nemchek: Win (2-1), 5.0 innings pitched, four hits, five runs, 10 strikeouts, 87 pitches
C. Fedeli: 2-for-4, two RBI, two runs
T. Zambito: 2-for-4, one RBI, one run
C. Goggin: 1-for-2, one RBI, two runs
M. DeMartino: 2-for-4, one RBI, two runs
J. Drewry: 2-for-4, one RBI, one run
Game 2:
AIC:
Mason St. Pierre: Loss (3-5), 4.0 innings pitched, three hits, two runs, one earned run, 77 pitches
Angel Mendez: 1-for-2, one RBI
Angel Gonzalez: 0-for-2, one RBI
Chad Lavelle: 1-for-3, one run, one stolen base
Owen Clancy: 1-for-2, one run, one triple
SCSU:
S. Phillips: Win (8-1), 6.0 innings pitched, three hits, two runs, nine strikeouts, 100 pitches
B. Sullivan: 1-for-4, three RBI, two runs, one double
C. Fedeli: 3-for-4, three RBI, one run, one double
T. Zambito: 2-for-3, one RBI, two runs
A Eng: 1-for-2, one RBI, one double
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Game 1:
- The Owls got on the board early with a pair of runs in the first.
- In the home half, senior Angel Mendez notched the first hit for AIC with a triple to right center. Junior Michael Cruz then walked. During the at-bat of freshman Jackson Haker, Cruz drew a throw down to second and caused a rundown which allowed Mendez to score and cut AIC's deficit in half.
- Rookie Kiernan Caffrey led the second inning off with a solo shot to right field to tie the game.
- In the top of the fourth, Southern Connecticut scored four runs on five hits to retake the lead. The Owls added two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth to extend their lead to 12-2.
- AIC chipped away in the sixth. Rookie Joseph Lynch hit a single to start the inning and advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt. Mendez and Cruz used back-to-back hit by pitches to load the bases. Haker drew a walk to score the first run of the inning. Sophomore Michael Nazzaro singled to left and Mendez and Cruz scored to make it 12-5.
- SCSU added another insurance run in the seventh. That did not slow the Yellow Jacket as rookie Justin Oquendo walked and proceeded to steal second. Junior Jake Timme and senior Angel Gonzalez drew consecutive walks to load the bases. Mendez hit a ball sharply to first but it was taken unassisted by the first basemen as the Owls traded a run for an out. Timme scored as Cruz singled to third followed by Haker reaching on a fielder's choice and gave the game the final score of 13-8.
Game 2:
- After two scoreless innings of play, each team scored a run in the third. For the Yellow Jackets, the inning started with a leadoff triple by rookie Owen Clancy, who scored when Mendez grounded out to third.
- The Owls scored once in the fourth and twice in the fifth to take the 4-1 lead.
- Junior Chad Lavelle singled to left as the first hitter in the top of the fifth and advanced to second when freshman Austin Bequeath laid down a sacrifice bunt before swiping third during the next at-bat. He scored when Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly to right.
- The Owls continued to plate more runners as they added three in the sixth and four in the seventh to take the game by a score of 11-2.
NEXT UP:
- The Yellow Jackets and Owls round out the series on Sunday, May 1 with a nine-inning game scheduled for 1 p.m.