Baseball

AIC to Host Championship Weekend After Baseball's NE10 Quarterfinals

AIC, Pace, FPU, and SNHU Advance

Championship Central

AIC, Pace, Saint Anselm, and SNHU Advance to Weekend

SW No. 1 AIC 6, NE No. 4 New Haven 4  Box Score
 

The American International College baseball team went all-in on a Northeast-10 Conference Championship Quarterfinal matchup against the University of New Haven, and a pair of aces helped win the day as the Yellow Jackets downed the Chargers 6-4 on Wednesday, May 7 to advance to the conference's double-elimination final four.
 

AIC improves to 20-23 on the season.
 

It was the Chargers that struck first, taking advantage of a leadoff walk, stolen base, and single to lead 1-0 before AIC could pick up its bats. Casey Cerruto smacked the RBI single, a rocket shot that took a high hop past first base with two outs.

In his next plate appearance, he led off the fourth, hitting a shot to center field that cleared the fence for a solo home run and a 2-0 Chargers lead.
 

Leandro Guevara led off the bottom half with a mirror image of the Cerruto single, with his ricocheting past the third baseman instead. He was replaced on the basepaths by Kiernan Caffrey, who was robbed of a hit by an excellent defensive play up the middle.

However, the Yellow Jackets kept swinging, and after Brendan Edvardsen singled into the right-center gap, Richie Segura ripped a line drive past the pitcher and through the middle to score Caffrey.
 

With men at the corners, the Yellow Jackets put the hit-and-run on and it worked; the middle infielders ranged to cover second and Sam Tanous slapped a single through the hole in the right side to score Edvardsen and tie the game.
 

The Chargers put two men on, but Nick Serce reached back and picked up a pair of strikeouts to end the fifth, giving him eight on the day.
 

"It was amazing…coaches having trust in me on the mound and at the plate, I can't be any more thankful," Serce said.
 

"He's been huge…we had a lot of confidence going into this game," Head Coach Nick Callini said of his starter.
 

In the fifth, Yeudy Ramirez singled into left center, and Josh Frometa followed with a hit through the left side. Frometa was then able to take second on a pitch that bounced on its way to the plate. That proved critical, as Guevara singled to left to drive the duo home, giving AIC a 4-2 lead.
 

Tim Krol, who came on in relief of Serce, allowed the Chargers to load the bases, but drew a groundout to end the threat in the sixth. AIC then added to its lead as Segura launched his first collegiate home run, a no-doubt shot just under the scoreboard in left center, to lead the inning off.
 

"Proud. Proud of all these guys. We put in the work day in, day out all fall and all spring. We never let our heads down and we just keep pushing together," Segura said about the game in a postgame interview.
 

"He's been great…[we] wanted him to come into this game knowing that we believed in him, we were confident in him…we really wanted to get Richie's bat into the lineup," Callini said.
 

The Chargers put runners on in the seventh, but left them there as Krol rebounded from two singles with three straight outs.
 

In the eighth, the luck seemed to run out. Two hits and a walk loaded the bases with no outs, and an 0-2 inside pitch hit Cam McGugan to force in a run. Joseph Frazetta then hit a flare to right that scored another. A shallow foul flyout gave AIC hope, however, and Krol was able to end it by getting Cerruto to hit into a 6-4-3 double play to strand the tying run.
 

AIC got one run back in the home half as Edvardsen walked and swiped second. Two hitters later, Cole Patterson dropped a single into left, taking second on the throw home that Edvardsen beat.
 

Krol came back on for the ninth and slammed the door, allowing a two-out double but getting Mike Christian to chase a high fastball for strike three and out three.
 

"It's TK. I have full faith in that kid. He's a baller…you wouldn't want anyone else behind you in that moment," Serce said about Krol.

Serce allowed two runs on five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in the win to improve to 4-1, while Krol allowed two runs on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts for his first save on the season.
 

"It feels amazing. We've been working a whole lot of years to try to build this program to this point and to finally get that success that we've been pecking at feels awesome. I'm super happy for the guys," Callini said.

- Recap Courtesy of  AIC Athletics - 

NE No. 3 SNHU 8, NE No. 2 Bentley 2    Box Score

Junior Austin Trumpour (Jensen Beach, Fla.) fired six shutout innings, and freshman Jackson Marshall (Hooksett, N.H.) homered and knocked in three runs, to lead the Southern New Hampshire University baseball team, the No. 3 seed in the NE10 Northeast Division, to an 8-2 victory over Bentley University, the second seed in the Northeast, in an NE10 Championship first round contest at DeFelice Field on Wednesday afternoon.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
  • Marshall – 2-for-5, 3 RBI, R, HR
  • Trumpour – 6.0 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 K, 1 BB (win; 5-3)
  • Senior Jancarlos Colon (Santa Isabel, P.R.) – 4-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 SB
  • Junior Kyle Lavigne (Bedford, N.H.) – 2-for-4, 2 RBI, SB
  • Junior Jake Pisano (Hamden, Conn.) – 2-for-4, 2 R, BB, 2 SB
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • Marshall set the tone in the top of the first inning with a two-out RBI single through the left side that scored graduate student Jorge Burgos (Santo Domingo, D.R.), who led off the game by being hit with a pitch and stole second.
  • Southern New Hampshire doubled its lead in the second when Colon led off with a single to left-center, later stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly to right by redshirt-sophomore Ruben Fernandez (Providence, R.I.).
  • SNHU grabbed more breathing room with a three-run sixth. Sophomore Nater Wachter (Concord, N.H.) drew a leadoff walk, before Marshall belted a two-run home run to left that again doubled the Penmen advantage. Pisano reset the deck with a walk and a steal of second, and then scored on an RBI base hit from Colon to make it 5-0.
  • The Penmen added three more in the seventh, with another Wachter leadoff walking getting it going. He would go to third on a Pisano base knock and score on an RBI single to left by Colon. Lavigne helped break it open with a two-run single up the middle that stretched the advantage to 8-0.
  • Bentley made it on to the board against the SNHU bullpen in the bottom of the frame, scoring a run on a sac fly.
  • The Falcons added another sac fly in the ninth.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • Junior Jake Risedorf (Barkhamsted, Conn.) was 1-for-4 with a walk.
  • Wachter finished 0-for-2, but walked three times and scored a pair of runs.
  • Fernandez went 0-for-3 with an RBI.
  • Graduate student Jorge Burgos (Santo Domingo, D.R.), who returned to the lineup after missing the previous three games, finished 0-for-3 with a run scored and a steal.
  • Sophomore Devin Divita (New Hartford, Conn.) tossed two innings of relief, allowing one run on three hits, while punching out four and walking a batter.
  • Graduate student Cam Varney (Manchester, N.H.) walked both batters he faced in the ninth and was charged with an earned run.
  • Junior Frankie DeMaro (Newburgh, N.Y.) allowed one of Varney's inherited runners to score, but pitched a hitless inning, striking out one and walking one.
NOTES
  • Southern New Hampshire, receiving votes in the, National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA) Division II Top 25, has won 14 of its last 17, including seven of nine.
  • Bentley is ranked 25th in the NCBWA Division II Top 25 and 28th in the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Division II Coaches Poll.
  • SNHU improves to 22-11 (.667) in its 12th appearance in the NE10 postseason, including 4-2 against Bentley. Amazingly, all six meetings have now come in the first round.
  • The Penmen had lost in the first round each of the last two seasons and advance to Championship Weekend for the first time since 2022. Championship Weekend begins Friday (May 9) and is hosted by the highest remaining seed in the Southwest Division this year – in this case, it is the top seed in the Southwest, American International College, which defeated the University of New Haven, 6-4, earlier Wednesday.
  • The Penmen played their first NE10 postseason game on at the road at Bentley in 2013. Since then, they had hosted 10 straight first round contests until Wednesday.
  • Bentley still leads in the all-time series, 45-44, but SNHU snaps the Falcons' three-game winning streak, as it has now captured 14 of 18. The Penmen have now won 13 of the last 14, including eight straight at Bentley. The last time the Falcons defeated SNHU on its home field was March 31, 2018 (4-3).
  • Marshall, who has now homered twice in the last three games, has 15 on the season, extending his rookie record and moving him into sole possession of third place on the single-season list.
  • Colon has a hit in 40 of his 45 games this year, including 19 of his last 21, 16 of 17 and four straight. The four-hit game is his second of the season and the eighth for a Penmen this year.

- Recap Courtesy of SNHU Athletics - 

NE No. 1 Franklin Pierce 7, NE No. 4 Saint Anselm 1   Box Score

The first three in a half innings, but both pitchers faced the minimum. Kyle Savati of Franklin Pierce was on a roll. After walking the first batter of the game, he faced the minimum through four without allowing a hit. Gabe Knudsen of Saint Anselm answered also facing the minimum through three without allowing a hit. However, the Ravens broke through first, as their first hit was a solo shot by Michael Quiros in the bottom of the fourth.

Despite Savati giving up his first hit, a single in the fifth, he got out of the inning with a third double-play turned by the Ravens, and Savati had still only faced the minimum. The home run and swift defense gave the Ravens momentum going to the bottom of the fifth, and they capitalized. A hit by pitch and two walks loaded the bases with one out for nine hole hitter Julian Monks. The junior, hitting .375 this season, hit a grand slam to extend the Ravens' lead. Sophomore Caden Smith was called from the bullpen and got out of the inning, but the Hawks found themselves down 5-0 facing elimination. 

Neither team would get a runner to second until the top of the 8th for Saint Anselm, but Savati got out of the inning unscathed again, and the score remained 5-0. Kiobel Lugo would hit a two run shot in the bottom of the eighth to extend the Raven lead to 7-0. 

Maverick Bourdeau would homer to lead off the ninth and prevent the shutout by Savati. Savati got two more outs before a single prompted a call to the bullpen for the last out. Sean Foody was put on the mound, and despite hitting a batter, he struck out the next to end any threat, and advance the Ravens to Championship Weekend. 

Kyle Savati finished with 8.2 innings, six hits, one run, two walks, and four strikeouts. Soft contact by the pitchers, but loud contact by the hitters via three home runs pushed the Ravens ahead and into another chance at the NE10 title, which they have not won since 2019. 

SW No. 2 Pace 5, SW No. 3 SCSU 3  Box Score

Pace University baseball opened the Northeast-10 (NE10) Conference Championship with a 5-3 win over #3 Southern Connecticut State on Wednesday afternoon at Peter X. Finnerty Field. Behind solid pitching and consistent offense, the second-ranked Setters managed to take down the Owls on their home turf to kick off the postseason on the right note.

With the victory, the Blue and Gold improve to 24-20 overall and advance to the next round of the NE10 postseason.

Here's What Happened

  • Southern Connecticut got on the board first in the top of the second inning, capitalizing on a pair of singles and a wild pitch to take a 1-0 lead. Pace responded in the third when Cristian Rodriguez led off with a single and advanced into scoring position. Luke Rivara then launched a two-run home run to left field, giving the Setters a 2-1 edge.
  • After the Owls tied the game in the fourth, Pace answered again in the bottom of the fifth. Rodriguez and Josh Miller reached safely to set the table, and Rivara delivered once more with a two-run single to left, giving the Setters a 4-2 advantage.
  • Pace added an insurance run in the sixth inning as Dominic Rivara connected for a solo home run to make it 5-2. Southern Connecticut narrowed the gap with a sacrifice fly in the seventh, but the Setters' bullpen held strong down the stretch.
  • Eric Santaella came on in relief and recorded his third save of the season, tossing three innings and limiting the Owls to one run on three hits.
  • The final score favored the Setters, 5-3, as they now advance to the next round of the conference championship.
Box Score Insights
  • Vincent Civitella earned the win, improving to 5-2 after six solid innings of work. He allowed two runs on eight hits and struck out five as he continues to near the all-time record for career strikeouts in program history.
  • Luke Rivara (2-for-4) led the way with four RBIs, while Rodriguez (2-for-4, 2 runs) and Andrew Heppner (3-for-3) both registered multi-hit games.
  • The Setters finished with 10 hits and played error-free defense while the Owls recorded 11 base-knocks with one error.

- Recap Courtesy of Pace Athletics -


2025 NE10 Baseball Championship
 
Northeast Division
NE10
1. Franklin Pierce 20-5
2. Bentley 19-6
3. So. New Hampshire 18-7
4. Saint Anselm 9-16
Southwest Division
NE10
1. American International 13-11
2. Pace * 12-12
3. Southern Connecticut * 12-12
4. New Haven * 12-12
 
* Within the mini-conference, Pace earned the #2 seed with a 5-1 record; SCSU and New Haven were both 2-4. SCSU earned the #3 seed based on a 2-1 record vs. New Haven during the regular season.

Wednesday, May 6th – First Round (single elimination)
Game 1: #1 SW AIC 6, #4 SW New Haven 4
Game 2: #2 SW Pace 5, #3 SW SCSU 3
Game 3: #1 NE Franklin Pierce 7, #4 NE Saint Anselm 1
Game 4: #3 NE SNHU 8, #2 NE Bentley 2
 
Friday, May 9th & Saturday, May 10th, Sunday May 11th (the finals weekend will be hosted by the highest remaining seed in the Southwest Division)
Game 5: #1 SW AIC vs #3 NE SNHU
Game 6: #1 NE Franklin Pierce vs #2 SW Pace 
Game 7: G5 loser vs. G6 loser
Game 8: G5 winner vs. G6 winner
Game 9: G7 winner vs. G8 loser
Game 10: G9 winner vs. G8 winner
Game 11: If necessary game.

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 11 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.

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