Late Offensive Explosion Leads Baseball to 17-9 Victory at Assumption
Worcester, Mass. - The Yellow Jackets offence exploded of 10 runs
in the final two innings as the American International College
baseball team defeated host Assumption 17-9 Saturday afternoon. The
Yellow Jackets improved to 5-14 overall and 3-5 in the
Northeast-10, while the Greyhounds dropped to 12-12 overall and 3-5
in conference play. Junior Dan Fey (Plymouth,
Mass.) went 3 for 4 at the dish with four RBIs and five
runs scored from the leadoff spot for AIC.
The Yellow Jackets trailed 9-7 heading into the top of the eight before scoring four runs to take the lead for good. AIC's quickly loaded the bases as each of the first three batters reach base and tied the game when freshman Louis Saunders (Garfield, N.J.) scored as classmate Herb Coggeshall (Coventry, Conn.) ground out to the pitcher and Fey singled through the left side to plate Mooney.
The Yellow Jackets took the lead for good two batters later when senior Jeff Rustico (Plantsville, Conn.) singled up the middle to score junior John Thorpe (East Longmeadow, Mass.) and senior David Dest (Orange, Conn.) added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Fey.
Assumption was set down quickly in the bottom half of the inning and AIC blew the game open with six runs in the ninth to put the game out of reach. The Yellow Jackets loaded the bases with just one out and Fey started the parade to home plate with an RBI single to left center field.
Rustico delivered a two-RBI double two batters later and then Dest added an RBI single to right field, giving AIC a commanding 16-9 lead. Rustico capped the scoring when he crossed home plate after junior Kevin Farrell (Wilbraham, Mass.) reached on an error by center fielder sophomore Derek Migrants (Ayer, Mass.). Assumption loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but freshman Sean Stevenson (Holyoke, Mass.) got fellow freshman Shawn Frigon (Worcester, Mass.) to ground out to second base to end the threat and the game.
Dest was 4 for 4 on the day with three RBIs and two runs scored and Rustico went 3 for 6 at the plate with three RBIs and a run scored. Farrell was just 1 for 6 on the day, but crushed a three-run homer to give the Yellow Jackets an early 3-0 lead in the first inning.
Freshman Zach Bunszell (Medford, Mass.) picked up the win after allowing two runs on four hits in three innings pitched. Stevenson allowed just three hits and struck out two batters as he held the Greyhounds off the board in the eighth and ninth innings. Sophomore Dustin Wirzburger (New Bedford, Mass.) took the loss for Assumption after giving up three runs in the eighth.
The Greyhounds got two runs back in the bottom of the first as junior Mike Baillargeon (Worcester, Mass.) hit a leadoff triple and scored junior Jeff Barbale's (Charlton, Mass.) groundout to second base. Sophomore Tim Scafidi (Worcester, Mass.) then launched a solo shot to right to make it a 3-2 contest.
Assumption took its first lead of the game thanks to a three-run effort in the bottom of the third, which included a two-RBI double off the bat of Migrants. AIC regained the lead with three runs of its own in the top of the fourth, two of which scored on Fey's single to left, but the Greyhound scored twice in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings to take a 9-7 lead.
Migrants finished 2 for 5 with three RBIs and a run scored for Assumption, while Baillergeon and junior Mike DiReda (Schrewsbury, Mass.) each went 3 for 5 with two runs scored and an RBI.
The Yellow Jackets and Greyhounds will meet again Sunday in a
Northeast-10 doubleheader starting at noon at AIC Park in
Springfield.