Albany, N.Y. - The Adelphi University baseball team got out to a fast start in its season-closing series with NE10 rival The College of Saint Rose, winning 11-6 and 4-1 in the opening contests of a four-game set at Bob Bellizzi Field on Friday in Albany.

Only two more victories on Saturday separates the Panthers (27-10-2, 16-5-1 NE10) from capturing their third-consecutive NE10 Southwest Division regular-season crown.

Game 1: Adelphi 11, Saint Rose 6
The Panthers struck first in the opener, when Anthony Cipri took the first pitch of the second inning out to right field for a lead-off solo homer. After coming into this season with only one career roundtripper, he has tripled that total in 2022.

An inning later, Alec Maag stepped up in a two-out RBI situation and drove Matt Alifano around from second with an RBI single up the middle.

It didn't stop there for the Panthers in the third. Once Jack Ryan was hit with a pitch to load the bases, Cooper Johnson found the opposite-field gap, which cleared the bases and opened the Adelphi lead to 5-0.

Over their first four turns at the plate, the Panthers scored eight times and tallied ten hits. Johnson accounted for a team-high four RBIs in the contest, including a solo blast in the eighth.

John Rizzo took it home on the mound. The freshman won his fifth-consecutive decision with seven strikeouts across seven innings of work. His record improved to 7-2 on the season.

Game 2: Adelphi 4, Saint Rose 1
An Alifano lead-off solo homer set the tone offensively in the nightcap, while southpaw Michael Storms was masterful on the hill.

Storms pounded the strike zone to the tune of six shutout innings. Over sixty of his 96 pitches went for strikes. He fanned six batters in picking up his second victory in as many tries.

Alifano aided in three of the four runs Adelphi scored. He trotted home in the fifth, when a throw to nab Cipri attempting to steal second went awry.

In a strikingly similar fashion in the sixth, Alifano stole third and took home on another throwing error, expanding the lead to 4-0.

Steven Murphy came on in relief and surrendered an unearned run in the seventh, before inducing a game-ending double play to secure the sweep.

One last doubleheader at Saint Rose on Saturday (May 7) is set to round out the 2022 regular season for the Panthers. First pitch is scheduled for noon.