AMCAT Baseball Splits With Falcons

WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Anna Maria College split a Great Northeast Athletic Conference baseball action with host Albertus Magnus College on Saturday afternoon. Anna Maria's John Sullivan broke a 3-3 tie with a 2-run home run for a 5-3 AMCAT win in game one. The Falcons won game two by a score of 11-6.

GAME 1

A two-run home run in the sixth inning gave Anna Maria the go ahead as the AMCATS eventually took the first game of the GNAC double-header 5-3 over the Albertus Magnus baseball team. John Sullivan recorded his first home run of the season with a two-run blast as he broke open a tied ballgame.

With the loss, the Falcons moved to 12-19 on the year and 6-7 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play. Anna Maria improved to 19-12 with the win, while the AMCATS won their 10^th game in league action.

Albertus was led in game one by Joseph Martinez (Bronx, N.Y.) who finished the contest 2-for-3 with a run scored. In the last four games for Albertus, Martinez is batting 5-for-8 with four runs and two RBI. He has also stolen two bases, walked twice and has been hit by a pitch once.

The Falcons scored the first run of the day as Jon Almonte (New York, N.Y.) crossed the plate during a run down between first and second to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead. For Almonte, it was his 11^th run scored this season.

Anna Maria tallied three runs in the fourth as two wild pitches by Falcon starter Mike Barillaro (Meriden, Conn.) plated three AMCATS runners.

Albertus tied the game at three in the bottom of the fifth as three-consecutive hits loaded the bases for the Falcons. After the first out was recorded, a fielder's choice by Patrick Dornfried (Berlin, Conn.) plated the Falcons' second run of the ballgame. Martinez was then able to score and tie the game on a wild pitch thrown by the AMCATS' Justin Hyland.

Anna Maria took back the lead in the top of the sixth as Sullivan took a 3-2 pitch and sent it over the left field fence for his first home run of the year as he gave his team a 5-3 advantage.

Senior Tim Henderson came into the game for the final two innings as he faced seven batters and struck out one in his third save of the season. Hyland earned the win for the AMCATS as he improved to 5-1 on the year.

Barillaro dropped to 1-5 overall with the loss as he allowed five runs on seven hits in six innings of work.

Zak Sokolis (Meriden, Conn.) added a 2-for-3 showing for the Falcons, while Almonte finished 1-for-2 with two runs scored.

GAME 2

Albertus Magnus baseball starting pitcher Jim Stanley (North Haven, Conn.) improved to 4-1 on the year as the Falcons downed Anna Maria College 11-6.

The Falcons' win over Anna Maria in game two, concluded a 10-game home-stand for Albertus in a span of 10 days.

The Falcons (13-19, 7-7 GNAC) scored three runs in the first, four in the third and three in the fifth to cruise to the five-run victory over the AMCATS (19-13, 10-4 GNAC) in the second game of the league double-header.

Albertus was led by Fanol Prevalla (Berlin, Conn.) who went 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored, while Patrick Dornfried (Berlin, Conn.) also had two hits along with two runs and three RBI. Dornfried was also one of five Falcons to be hit by a pitch in the contest.

The Falcons took an early lead with three runs in the first inning as a wild pitch plated the first run of the game before Robert Gambardella (North Haven, Conn.) registered a two-run single to center to extend the Falcons' lead.

Anna Maria starter Zach Rafferty (4-4) struggled in the opening frame as he hit two batters, walked two and threw two wild pitches. In the loss, Rafferty went two innings, while allowing eight runs on three hits, four walked batters and four hit batters. He also threw four wild pitches in the outing.

An RBI single in the second inning by Kyle Calechman (North Haven, Conn.) scored Dornfried from second to extend the Falcons' lead to 4-0. Anna Maria plated three runs in the third on five hits before Albertus doubled its own score, taking a five-run lead at 8-3. Anna Maria added another run in the fourth and two in the fifth to cut the Falcons' lead back to two at 8-6.

Albertus scored three more runs in the fifth to take an 11-6 advantage as an RBI double by Prevalla and a two-run single by Dornfried led the charge.

With two outs in the sixth, Nick Sedia (Bronx, N.Y.) took the hill for the Falcons and with one pitch he was able to get the Falcons out of the inning as the AMCATS stranded a runner on first. Sedia came out of the bullpen and threw 1.1 innings as he allowed just one hit against six batters faced.

Stanley gave up 11 hits and six runs in 5.2 innings of work.

Anthony Pellegrino (Branford, Conn.) finished the contest with two runs scored and three walks, while Gambardella added a hit and two RBI as well.

Anna Maria returns to action on Sunday as the AMCATS head to St. Joe's (ME) to take on the Monks in their final regular season contests before postseason play. The GNAC Tournament is set to begin on Tuesday baring no cancellations on Sunday due to the anticipated inclement weather.