New Haven, Conn. - A pair of quality starts by Adelphi's
Carlos Acosta and SCSU's Steve Phillips each won a game for their respective squads, as the Adelphi University baseball team split a series-opening doubleheader Saturday against Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven.
Game 1: Adelphi 4, SCSU 1
The opener belonged to Acosta, who failed to allow an earned run over 5.1 innings and struck out five in the process.
In five starts this season, Acosta has nearly doubled his strikeout total from last season, totaling 34 punchouts to-date.
A defensive mistake by the 'Cats cost the visitors the first run of the game, but a comedy of errors soon ensued for Southern Connecticut (16-13, 4-6 NE10).
The fifth inning unraveled for the Owls, who booted a routine grounder to second with two outs that laid the groundwork for a game-changing three-run inning.
Jack Wishner, who led off the fifth with a single, scored on the misplayed
Greyson Pizzonia grounder to tie the score at 1-1.
Alec Maag and
Joe Pellegrino each followed with an RBI single that opened up a two-run lead for the Panthers (11-12, 4-5 NE10).
Just after grabbing the lead, Acosta gave way to Adelphi closer
Coleton Reitan. The second-year pitcher dazzled across 3.2 innings to lower his earned-run average to a near-league-leading 1.35.
Game 2: Adelphi 0, SCSU 10
Southern Connecticut ace Steve Phillips took the bump for Game 2, and shut out the Panthers over seven innings with a career-best ten strikeouts.
Only four 'Cats managed to tally a hit against Phillips. Pizzonia and
Albert Ramos each collected a hit at the top of the lineup, while freshmen
Bryan McCleary and
Erick Duignan accounted for the other two.
Meanwhile, the Owls put up ten runs on eleven hits against Adelphi pitching. Nine of those runs came in the latter stages of the game against
Bill Ianniciello's bullpen.
SCSU blew the game open in the seventh and eighth, when the hosts combined to drive in seven runs in the two innings.
For the third time against Northeast Division opponents, Adelphi will play in a rubber game of a series, meeting Southern Connecticut again tomorrow (Apr. 7) at 1 p.m. in New Haven.