Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Under first year head coach Mike Gaffney, the Adelphi baseball team began their 2026 season with a doubleheader against #17 Felician at the Cal Ripken Experience.
Series History:
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Adelphi (0-2, 0-0 NE10) moves to 11-7 against the Falcons since 2003 after dropping both games of the doubleheader. Before today, the last time the two teams faced off was on March, 11 2001 when the Panthers earned an impressive 15-0 win.
Game 1: Adelphi 9, Felician 21 (F/7)
Highlights:
- Johnny Catuosco, starting in left field and batting third for Adelphi, homered on the first pitch he saw for his second career home run. He ended the game with a 4-for-5 day, driving in four runs and scoring two.
- Erick Duignan knocked the Panthers' second home run of the game over the wall in the fourth inning. He tallied two RBI.
- Anthony Rigogliosi went 3-for-4 as the nine hole hitter and scored three of the team's nine runs.
- Matt Ryan and Evan Carway each drove in a run.
- Eric Ressegger and Joseph Tagliava made their collegiate debuts while coming out of the bullpen. Both recorded two strikeouts.
How It Happened:
- Felician was able to get to opening day starter John Carver early, scoring eight runs off of the Panthers' ace in the first two innings.
- The Falcons tallied on two more off of Ressegger and held a 10-1 lead after two.
- Adelphi looked to come back, scoring four in the third and fourth innings after two Catuosco RBI singles and Duignan's home run, but Felician responded with six more runs in the bottom half of the fourth and the fifth.
- The Panthers tacked on four runs in the sixth, but again Felician responded, slugging three of their five homers and scoring five.
- After a scoreless top half of the seventh for Adelphi, the game ended there with Adelphi falling 21-9.
Game 2: Adelphi 5, Felician 6 (F/9)
Highlights:
- Jake Sekinski got the ball in game two for his first start of the season and pitched well. In 4.2 innings he let up four runs and struck out four.
- Colin Richardson and Michael Tufo were excellent in relief, combining for 4.1 innings of three hit, one run ball.
- Giancarlo Rengifo was the best bat in the lineup, going 3-for-4 with a single, a double, a home run and three RBI.
- Rigogliosi carried over his success at the plate from game one, this time going 1-for-2 with a single, a walk and two more runs scored.
- Zach DeMilt made his collegiate debut, earning the start at second base.
How It Happened:
- The first runs for both teams came in the third inning. Falling behind 2-0 after two solo shots, the Panthers came right back in the bottom half of the inning. Two walks from Zach DeMilt and Rigigliosi set up Rengifo, who blasted his first home run of the season over the right field wall to give Adelphi a 3-2 lead.
- After neither team scored in the fourth inning, the Falcons once again used their power. After an error should have gotten Sekinski his second out of the inning, Luis De La Cruz hit his second home run of the game – and third of the day – to put his team back up top. Felician's next batter up also went yard to put the Falcons back up two with two and half innings to play.
- In the bottom of the fifth, Adelphi got the game even. Rigogliosi's bat stayed hot with a double and after a groundout and wild pitch he was able to cross home plate to make it a one run game. Rengifo then doubled, knocking Felician's starter out of the game. A Catusoco single kept the lineup chugging along before Bryan McCleary drove in Rengifo on a liner to center to tie it at five.
- Colin Richardson was able to escape trouble in the sixth, getting De La Cruz to fly out for the final out.
- No runs in the sixth or seventh from either team sent the game into extras. The score stayed at 5-5 until the top of the ninth when Felician hit another home run to take the lead.
- A pinch hit double from Matt Ryan in bottom nine followed by a Catuosco intentional walk gave the Cats some life, but the comeback did not come to fruition as Adelphi fell 6-5.
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