Albany, N.Y. - Although the 'Cats came within an earshot of a sweep, the Adelphi University baseball team split its first two games with The College of Saint Rose in NE10 action Friday afternoon at Bellizzi Field.

With a postseason bid still up for grabs, the Panthers (22-22, 14-12 NE10) can earn a berth to the NE10 Championship with a win in tomorrow's 12 p.m. regular-season finale at Saint Rose (20-22, 13-13 NE10).

Game 1: Adelphi 5, Saint Rose 0
Usually the team's lockdown closer, Coleton Reitan made the Game 1 start in a must-win for the 'Cats.

Reitan proceeded to make the longest start of any Adelphi starter this season, throwing 7.2 shutout innings with one walk and five strikeouts.

Reitan and Saint Rose starter Stephen Orlando traded zeroes through the first four innings. It was in the fifth when the Panthers finally broke through on the road.

On the first pitch of the fifth, Erick Duignan seemed to have skied his first collegiate homer, before being ruled a ground-rule double. As Duignan made his way back to second after trotting around the bases, Joe Pellegrino put a pitch into play with the bases loaded that skipped over the backhand of Saint Rose shortstop Kenyon Motely.

Duignan was in the thick of it again in the sixth, as his sacrifice fly an inning later doubled Adelphi's lead to 2-0.

With Reitan cruising, the Adelphi offense continued to tack on runs. Greyson Pizzonia added an RBI single of his own in the sixth, while James Eden continued his recent hot streak with an RBI knock in the ninth.

Coming on with two outs in the eighth to lock down the save, Zach Rovner struck out the side in the ninth to preserve the shutout.

Game 2: Adelphi 5, Saint Rose 6
The Adelphi bats were quiet to start, but Saint Rose's weren't. The middle of the Golden Knights' order, specifically James Ward and Ethan Farina, took Gavin Graff deep over the first two innings to jump out to a 3-0 lead.

Then, in the fourth, Saint Rose's Vince Venditti found the long ball against Adelphi reliever Carlos Acosta, increasing the hosts' lead to 5-1.

The 'Cats found their comeback itch again though in the eighth. In an inning with two triples, the Brown and Gold pulled within a run at 6-5. Pizzonia provided the lead-off three-bagger and scored on Alec Maag's RBI single. Pellegrino then delivered a triple of his own and walked in on an Albert Ramos opposite-field RBI single.

Threatening with the tying and go-ahead runs on base, Eden -- who homered earlier in the game -- grounded into a fielder's choice that kept Saint Rose's one-run lead intact.

As Duignan ignited another rally in the ninth with a lead-off single, the hosts turned to their bullpen. After falling behind 3-1 on his initial batter, Gabe Stewart induced a flyout to left, before Anthony Rigogliosi hacked at the first pitch and grounded into a game-ending double play.

Graff was saddled with his first defeat of 2024 in the decision, although his offense racked up thirteen hits in the nightcap -- tying for the second-most hits by the team in a single game this season.

With a coveted spot in the postseason on the line, Head Coach Bill Ianniciello and the Panthers wrap up the 2024 regular season tomorrow (May 4) with a 12 p.m. first pitch at Saint Rose.