ALBANY – American International College broke open a 1-1 ballgame by scoring four times in the top of the eighth to hand The College of Saint Rose baseball team a 5-3 Northeast-10 Conference setback today at Bob Bellizzi Field at the Plumeri Sports Complex. The Yellow Jackets (7-28/4-20 NE-10) snapped a 13-game losing streak in the process and split the regular-season series against the Golden Knights (14-29/8-16 NE-10), who played their final home game of the 2010 season today.
Sophomore right fielder
Nick Alexandrovich and junior third baseman
Ryan Burke each had two hits to lead a nine-hit attack for Saint Rose. Meanwhile, senior right-hander
Nate Ward allowed one run throughout 7.1 innings of work, fanned two batters and did not allow a walk.
Freshman southpaw Matt Lee proved to be just as effective on the bump for American International. Lee picked up his first collegiate win after scattering eight hits and picking up two strikeouts over 7.1 innings. Junior third baseman Dan Mooney enjoyed a homecoming of sorts by going 4-for-4 at the plate with two RBI and a run.
Saint Rose loaded the bases in the fifth, but only managed to push one across. Junior center fielder
Garret Keenan delivered a deep sacrifice fly ball to right field that plated freshman left fielder
Scott Hladik, who walked to lead off the frame.
In the sixth, the Yellow Jackets halted a 15-inning scoreless streak by the Golden Knights’ pitching staff. Mooney provided the blow with a two-out RBI single to center field that scored junior right fielder Dillon Fontaine, thus knotting things 1-1.
American International then broke things open with four runs in the eighth. Senior left fielder Dan Bassani lifted a sacrifice fly, Mooney followed with an RBI single and sophomore designated hitter Brad Brothers and sophomore first baseman Julian Concepcion smacked back-to-back doubles to cap things off.
Saint Rose whittled its deficit to 5-3 in the bottom of the inning thanks to an RBI base hit by junior first baseman
Grant Smith and a groundout by sophomore second baseman
Michael Carbone. However, junior right-hander Sean Stevenson got out of the jam and then retired the Golden Knights in order in the bottom of the ninth to secure his second save of the year. Stevenson wound up recording 1.2 innings of no-hit ball in relief.
Both clubs return to action this Saturday for their 2010 regular-season finale. Saint Rose heads to Bentley University, while the Yellow Jackets host UMass Lowell. The first pitch of both openers is set for 12:00 pm.
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