Garden City, N.Y. - The Adelphi University baseball team split with American International College to kick start a Northeast-10 Conference divisional series on Saturday afternoon. The Yellow Jackets edged out Adelphi, 8-4 in game one, but the Brown and Gold bounced back with a 9-6 win in Saturday's second game of the day.
In between today's doubleheader, the athletic department honored multiple donors and alumni at the Baseball Clubhouse Recognition ceremony. The event recognized those who contributed to the creation of the newly-constructed clubhouse and locker room.
Game 1: AIC 8, AU 4
Both teams were silent through the first two innings, before American Int'l (15-21, 6-12 NE10) took a 6-0 lead behind three runs in the third and fourth innings against Ed Baram.
Three RBI singles, a sacrifice fly, an error and a double play grounder helped plate the Yellow Jackets' six runs, as Baram did not record an out in the fourth for his shortest start of the season.
In the fifth inning, the Panthers cut the Yellow Jackets' lead to two with a four-run frame. With Jack Ryan and Steven Withers on base, Tyler Becker reached an error by the second baseman which brought home Ryan. Following a single by Brett Malm, the hosts put three more on the board in the next three at-bats. A groundout by Colombo and two more base hits decreased AIC's lead to 6-4.
The visitors answered by scoring one run in both the sixth and seventh innings, finishing the contest with the victory. Baram was dealt the loss, giving up six runs in three innings to fall to 2-4 on the season.
Game 2: AU 9, AIC 6
Adelphi (19-14-1, 9-8 NE10) gained the lead early in game two, however, the Yellow Jackets tied the score twice across nine innings -- and even took a lead -- before the Panthers battled back late.
Withers and Lawrence Cicileo combined to go 5-for-10 with six RBIs in the victory at the top of the Adelphi order, as the duo was responsible for Adelphi's three-run seventh which turned a 6-6 tie into a win.
Adelphi took the lead in the second, going up 1-0 on American Int'l off an RBI single up the middle by Tim O'Connor, and the home team added two more in the second following a single and a double by Brandon Warick and Camden Orologio. With the two men on base, Withers and Cicileo were able to bring runners across home plate.
In the next inning, AIC tied the game at 3-all, off an RBI single and a double by Johnson and LaVallee. The Yellow Jackets took their only lead in the fifth, credited to a fielding error by the home team, but Cicileo's sixth-inning double tied the game at 4-4 before Brett Malm and Tyler Warshefskie put AU back on top, 6-4.
With the score tied 6-6 in the seventh, base hits by Cattani and Cassara, brought Withers to the plate to knock in a pair of RBIs for the Panthers. Sitting with a two-run lead once again, the Brown and Gold tacked on another run off an RBI single by Cicileo.
Kieran McLaughlin claimed the victory on the mound, improving to 3-0 on the season, as he recorded the final out of the sixth inning, while David Butler pitched two scoreless frames for the save.
Adelphi and American Int'l will continue its three-game series tomorrow in a single game on William J. Bonomo Field. The first pitch will be hurled at 1 p.m.
About Adelphi Athletics
Adelphi University joined the Northeast-10 Conference in the fall of 2009, and in the past eight seasons, has collected 26 regular season conference titles, 28 tournament championships, 37 individual crowns and captured the Northeast-10 Presidents' Cup four times (2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017), while winning six NCAA Division II National Championships.
For the latest on Adelphi University Athletics, follow the Panthers at www.aupanthers.com or via social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat.
