Pleasantville, N.Y. - Despite a three-run first inning, the Adelphi University baseball team needed a go-ahead single from the bat of Lucas Terwilliger in the top of the ninth inning to help secure a much-needed victory over the Setters of Pace University on Thursday, 6-5.
After seeing a 3-0 and 5-2 leads evaporate, the Panthers (22-14-1, 11-8 NE10) took the lead for good in the top of the ninth inning in Thursday's road contest, securing a series victory over the Setters. Coming into the afternoon, Pace held a one-game lead on Adelphi in the Southwest Division of the Northeast-10 Conference standings for the fourth and final playoff spot.
Terwilliger and Tyler Becker led the Brown and Gold all afternoon, finishing the game a combined 4-for-7, including three key triples between the two batters, and four RBIs
Daniel Taggart started on the bump for Adelphi, going five complete innings plus one batter in the sixth, and letting up three of Pace's five runs. After entering the game in the eighth, Ed Baram claimed the victory for Adelphi, striking out two batters in a crucial one-out, runners at the corners situation with the game tied at 5-5.
Back-to-back triples by Becker and Terwilliger put two on the board to start things off for the Panthers. Becker roped a triple down the right line immediately before Terwilliger slammed his own triple in the next at-bat. The third run of the inning was credited to a double by Lawrence Cicileo, bringing Terwilliger across the plate for Adelphi. In the next frame, the visitors' lead grew to four following a single up the middle by Withers after two consecutive hits to start the second inning.
Pace cut the Adelphi lead to two runs following two RBI singles in the third and fourth, until the Panthers answered with Becker's second triple of the day, as he later came home off Terwilliger's sac fly for the latter's second RBI of the game. However, the Setters got to Michael Demarest in relief, and were able to even the score, 5-5 in the seventh off a two-run homer by Michael Gulino.
In Adelphi's final attempt to regain the lead in regulation, Terwilliger made the hosts pay for an error and a walk with one out in the ninth, as he laced a single through the left side to Withers around the bags with to go-ahead run. With Michael Tarpey on the mound to close, the senior slammed the door in style as he struck out the final three Pace batters for the save.
The Brown and Gold will return to the diamond Saturday for a non-conference series with the New York Institute of Technology. The single game is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Old Westbury, N.Y.
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.
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