Garden City, N.Y. - Junior third baseman Matt Alifano couldn't have produced a better start to the 2022 season Saturday, when the Adelphi University baseball team swept a doubleheader from Saint Anselm College on Opening Day at William J. Bonomo Memorial Field.

Not only did he go 5-for-7 at the plate, Alifano went deep twice, drove in five RBIs and scored six runs in the two games.

Game 1: Adelphi 5, Saint Anselm 3
Alifano's first home run leveled the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first on a lead-off solo shot to left center.

The third baseman was in the mix of it again in the third. After leading off the inning with a double, Kyle Olson singled up the middle that put the Panthers in front.

Then, in the fifth, Adelphi padded its lead, as a two-out double by Tim Feliz brought around Michael Draskin. At the midway point of the contest, the hosts led 5-1.

Nicolas Luc made the start and while he labored through the first, the ace of the Adelphi rotation still struck out the side and retired 14 of the last 16 to face him.

John Rizzo came on in relief and surrendered a two-run homer in his first collegiate appearance, but only allowed three baserunners over his last 3.1 innings.

The two hard-throwing right-handers combined for 14 strikeouts, en route to Luc and RIzzo earning their first win and save of the season, respectively.

Game 2: Adelphi 13, Saint Anselm 1 - F/7
The Panthers (2-0) came from behind in both contests, after the Hawks (0-5) twice plated a run in their first turn at-bat.

And like the first game, Adelphi leveled the score in the bottom of the first. A Feliz flare with the bags full dunked inside the left-field line for the game-tying run.

Alifano broke it open an inning later, when -- with two runners in scoring position -- he drove a 2-1 offering out to the opposite field for a three-run homer.

The Brown and Gold continued to pile it on from there. Draskin drove in a pair with a double in the fourth, and a five-run fifth created all the separation Adelphi would need.

Josh Rovner pitched five innings and struck out six in the winning effort. He caught two batters looking in the fourth and fifth and struck out two in his first inning of work.

Michael Storms threw two hitless innings and fanned a pair in relief. Nine different Panthers collected at least a hit. Six of them had multiple hits.

Head Coach Bill Ianniciello and his Adelphi squad next begin a three-game weekend series with Molloy College, starting Friday (Mar. 4) at 1 p.m. in Garden City.