SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - The American International College baseball team split a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader with Southern New Hampshire University, winning game one 8-2 before falling 13-4 in the second contest on Sunday, March 23.

AIC is now 8-8 overall and 3-1 in the NE10.

The Penmen loaded the bases with one out in the first and Jake Risedorf singled to drive home the game's first run, but Tim Krol battled back with back-to-back strikeouts to limit the damage. AIC countered the run in the home half, as Leandro Guevara smacked a two-out double and Nick Serce singled to bring him around.

The Penmen put two more men on in the second, but again Krol struck out a batter with two down to neutralize the threat, and then AIC took advantage of a miscue in the field to take the lead. After Aidan Streeter walked and Cole Patterson singled, Brendan Edvardsen bounced to shortstop. The throw to second, an attempt to start a double play, sailed into right-center, and Streeter scored on the errant toss. Then, in the third, Serce hit a flare to right for a base hit and advanced to second on a wild pitch, scoring on a Yeudy Ramirez hit through the right side of the infield for a 3-1 lead.

In the fifth, the Penmen pulled within one as Jackson Marshall hit a sacrifice fly, although again Krol held it to one run against by striking Risedorf out to end the inning. He also worked around a two-base error in the seventh, striking out Marshall for his 10th and final punchout of the afternoon to end the inning.

After the stretch, AIC put the game out of reach. With two outs, Edvardsen singled, and then took second when a pickoff attempt eluded the first baseman. Sam Tanous singled up the middle to bring Edvardsen home, and then stole second himself, scoring on a Guevara base hit. Serce then came to the plate and hammered a pitch over the right field fence for his third home run of the weekend, giving AIC a 7-2 lead. The Yellow Jackets added a final run in the eighth as Kiernan Caffrey walked, advanced on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on a Tanous single to center.

Krol's totals in the win were impressive. In 7.0 innings, he allowed two runs on five hits, walking three against the 10 strikeouts. It was his first 10-strikeout game in an AIC uniform; his previous high was nine on April 7, 2024 against Pace University. 

Charlie Calvanese closed out strong, allowing just a walk with three strikeouts in the final two frames.

The Penmen opened the second game with a run as they had in the first, with Nater Wachter hitting an RBI double, but Risedorf slowed AIC's offense from the mound, not allowing a run until the fourth. By then, the Penmen led 6-0, and AIC's run was unearned, coming on a throwing error from third base with Guevara scoring. 

In the following frame, the Penmen added two more, as Risedorf helped his own cause with an RBI triple and scored on a sacrifice fly, but AIC was finally able to get to him on the mound in the bottom half as Patterson and Edvardsen both doubled and Tanous singled. Patterson came home on the Edvardsen double, and Risedorf was lifted for Angel Baez. Guevara and Serce both patiently drew walks, with the former loading the bases and the latter pushing Edvardsen home, and the Penmen had to make another pitching change, putting in Cam Varney. He allowed one inherited runner to score as Josh Frometa hit a sacrifice fly, but was able to escape further damage. 

From there, the Penmen added to their lead, scoring two in the sixth and three in the seventh for the 13-4 final and series split.

AIC next opens a four-game series with Adelphi University on Friday, March 28 at 3:30 p.m. at Bedard Field.