May 9, 2009

Box Score

Garden City, NY - Consistent runs throughout the semi-final match up against St. Thomas Aquinas College have the Adelphi Baseball squad heading to the finals of the East Coast Conference tournament. The Panthers sent the Spartans to the losing bracket with a 3-2 blow, improving their record 30-14, while STAC drops to 25-22.

The Panthers got things started with run in the second inning on Anthony Anzalone double to left center, which drove in Mike Colonna. The Spartans would answer Adelphi's run two innings later when Matt Smith homered over the left center fence.

Tied going into the bottom sixth, the Panthers readied their bats. Senior Bill Milillo led off with a triple down the left field line, and Chris Weidlein drove him in on a sacrifice fly to the centerfielder. The Panthers would strand two that inning, however, in the seventh, Adelphi got one more around on a Melillo single, scoring Robert Paccione. Adelphi let up one in the ninth, but it was not enough and at the last out the score remained 3-2, AU.

Robert Nixon picked up his sixth win of the season, going 8.2 innings, letting up six hits and one earned run. Mike Colonna took the mound in the 9th and closed the game out, earning his eighth save.

With the win, the Panthers not only move the ECC finals, they also earn their 30th win of the season - an accomplishment done twice in the past 10 years. Last time was in 2007 (35), when the Panthers made it into the Northeast Region. In 1999 Adelphi won 32 games and made it to the College World Series.