Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Garden City, N.Y. - The Adelphi University baseball team played host to Southern New Hampshire University on Sunday, March 23 in a double dip on William J. Bonomo Memorial Field. Adelphi fell, 8-7 in a game one slugfest that saw a combined 22 hits, but came out on top in a 2-1 game two pitchers duel. With the split, Adelphi is now 6-9 overall and 2-2 in the conference, while the Penmen sit at 14-5 and 3-1 in the NE-10.

Game One

Southern NH jumped onto the scoreboard early, using five hits and taking advantage of two Adelphi errors in the top of the first to take a 5-0 lead. The Panthers cut into the lead in the bottom of the first. Cliff Brantley kicked things off, reaching on an error and was then driven in by a Robert Vani double. After both Brandon Stahl and Kyle Ambury worked walked, and two more runs were driven in to pull Adelphi within two runs, 5-3. Stahl on a Nick Zito sacrifice fly and Vani followed on a Kevin Hutzel fielder's choice.

An inning later the Brown and Gold snatched their first lead of the game on the back of three more runs, 6-5. Vani drove in the fourth run of the game, scoring Vincent Sharkey, who reached first on an error, on a single to left. Brantley, who singled earlier in the inning, scampered home on an Ambury ground out and Vani capped the scoring when he strolled home on a Ztio single to right. 

Ambury kept his momentum at the plate going in the bottom of the fourth, using a sacrifice fly to center to score Brantley, who opened the half inning with a double to center, 7-5. The Penman answered back quickly, getting a two out single down the line that allowed one run to slip home, making it a one run game after five inning of play.

Southern New Hampshire struck again in the top of the seventh, on another two out hit, this one a single to left, knotting the action at seven. The eighth and ninth passed scoreless, but in the top of the 10th, another two out hit proved to be the deciding play, allowing the Penmen's eighth and final run to score.

Six Adelphi hurlers made appearances on the mound, but John Donnelly threw the final 2.1 innings and was credited with the loss, striking out two and allowing one run on just two hits.

Vani and Brantley combined for five of Adelphi's 10 hits, with Vani going 3-4 with two runs and two RBI, while Brantley was 2-4 with three runs. Ambury and Zito both picked up one hit and two RBi each in the loss.

Game Two

In the second game of the double header, it was Adelphi's turn to put a run on the board early. Brantley remained hot, opening the bottom half of the first with a single, and he crossed home plate on a Tyler Decker double to right field, 1-0.

The next five innings would roll by scoreless, until a Southern NH single in the top of the sixth tied the game at one. After three more innings slipped by scoreless, Adelphi was able to take advantage of back-to-back Southern NH errors, which put runners on first and second for Hutzel. Hutzel responded to the two out, two runners on situation with a single to left. Michael Stack scored to secure a 2-1 victory for Adelphi.

Three Adelphi pitchers combined in the seven hitters, led by Chris Lemorocco, who tossed the first six innings, giving up one run on six hits and striking out three. Ricky Van Allen threw one inning of scoreless relief, striking out one and giving up one hit, while Matt Abramowitz was credited with the win, striking out six, and allowing no runs and no hits in three innings of work.

Decker swung the hot stick for the Brown and Gold in game two, going 3-3 with one RBI, while Brantley, Eric Hassell, Hutzel and Zito were credited with the other four hits.

Up Next
The Panthers return to action on Wednesday, March 26 when they welcome Southern Connecticut State University to William J. Bonomo Field for a 3:30 pm first pitch.