BASEBALL BLANKS ASSUMPTION TWICE
GAME 1 BOX SCORE GAME 2 BOX SCORE
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (April 6, 2006) -
Brett Cooley (Somers, Conn.) and Bryan
Soltis (Plantsville, Conn.) each threw complete game
shutouts as American International College blanked Assumption
College twice in a Northeast-10 baseball doubleheader Saturday
afternoon at AIC Park. The Yellow Jackets took a 1-0 victory
in 11 innings in the opener then posted a 2-0 win in the nightcap
to go to 9-10 overall and 5-6 in the NE-10, while the Greyhounds
are now 4-20 and 1-8 in the league.
The Yellow Jackets have now matched their win total from 2005.
In the opener, AIC scored in the bottom of the 11th after Jeff Rustico (Plantsville, Conn.) and Neal Quesnel (South Hadley, Mass.) hit back-to-back one-out singles, with Rustico ending up at third. Kevin Farrell (Wilbraham, Mass.) then lofted a sacrifice fly to left field that was deep enough to score Rustico and end the game. Rustico and Quesnel each had two hits in the opener while Drew Kohl (Easthampton, Mass.) has the other Yellow Jacket hit.
Cooley allowed just four hits over 11 innings of work en route to the win while striking out eight and not allowing a walk. He did not allow a baserunner until Mike Baillargeon (Worcester, Mass.) reached on a one-out single in the sixth. Nick Andrade (East Providence, R.I.) took the loss in relief for the Greyhounds, allowing two hits in 2.2 innings of work while fanning four. Starter Rory Ahern (Shrewsbury, Mass.) went eight innings and scattered three hits while notching five strikeouts.
In the nightcap American International scored both of its runs in the fifth inning courtesy a two-run, two-out triple off the bat of David Dest (Orange, Conn.). Dest's triple plated Dominic Meattey (Fitzwilliam, N.H.), who worked a two-out walk, and Kohl, who reached on a single. Kohl finished the second game 2-3 at the plate.
Soltis upped his record on the season to 3-0 by allowing just three hits in his complete game effort while striking out two. Only one Greyhound runner would reach second base in the second game. Brett Kulhawik (Trumbull, Conn.) took the loss for Assumption, going seven innings and allowing five hits and notching two strikeouts. Tony Coppola (Milford, Mass.) pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning in relief for the guests.
AIC and Assumption wrap up their season series
with a single game at Assumption Sunday afternnon at 1:00.