Pace 7, Saint Anselm 6
Box Score
MANCHESTER, N.H. – Nick Carlucci delivered the defining moment of the game with a go-ahead three-run home run in the ninth inning as the #6 seed Pace University Baseball rallied past #5 seed Saint Anselm College, 7-6, on the road Tuesday afternoon in the opening round of the Northeast 10 Conference (NE10) Championship. The Setters erased a five-run deficit to survive and advance in the single-elimination format.
Pace struck first in the opening inning when Rocco Cimino launched a solo home run to give the Setters a 1-0 lead. The Hawks answered immediately, scoring three runs in the bottom half and adding two more in the third and one in the fourth to build a 6-1 advantage.
The Setters began to chip away in the sixth inning. Carreras singled to start the rally before Pace loaded the bases, allowing Cristian Rodriguez to draw an RBI walk to make it 6-2. Cimino followed by getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, bringing home another run and cutting the deficit to 6-3.
Pace continued to apply pressure late, adding a run in the eighth when Cimino delivered an RBI single to trim the margin to 6-4 heading into the final frame.
In the ninth, the Blue and Gold completed the comeback. Sweppenhiser reached to begin the inning before Tullo followed with a single, setting the stage for Carlucci. With one swing, Carlucci sent a three-run home run to left field, giving Pace a 7-6 lead and its first advantage since the opening inning.
Sean Costello took over in the bottom half and worked a clean inning, retiring three of the four batters he faced to shut the door and secure the comeback postseason victory for the Setters.
Offensively, Cimino led the way with two hits and three RBIs, while Tullo added two hits. Carlucci finished with three RBIs, all coming on the decisive home run, as Pace totaled nine hits in the win.
On the mound, Eric Santaella delivered a strong outing, tossing eight innings while allowing six runs (five earned) and striking out six to keep the Setters within striking distance.
Carreras continued his historic freshman campaign, adding a hit to extend his season total and setting a new program freshman single-season hits record. Carreras surpassed the previous mark of 56, originally set by current head coach Hank Manning in 1987 and later matched by Doug Hehner in 2001. The milestone comes just one week after Carreras set the program's freshman single-season RBI record.
Recap Courtesy Pace Athletics
Adelphi 17, Saint Michael's 3
Box Score
Garden City, N.Y. – Playoff baseball returned to William J. Bonomo Memorial Field on Tuesday afternoon, as the No. 4-seeded Adelphi baseball team hosted No. 5 Saint Michael's in the First Round of the Northeast 10 Championship.
Highlights:
- John Carver was once again lights out, allowing no earned runs and striking out eight in six innings of work.
- Eight of nine Panthers recorded a hit.
- Zach DeMilt was a career-best 5-for-6 at the plate with four runs scored and an RBI.
- Bryan McCleary went 4-for-6 in the three hole, driving in three runs.
- Albert Ramos also tallied three runs batted in in his final game at Willy J.
- Johnny Catuosco went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
- Erick Duignan and Anthony Rigogliosi each went 2-for-3 with the pair scoring a combined five runs and Rigogliosi driving in two.
How It Happened:
- The Panthers opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, jumping out to a 2-0 lead.
- A leadoff single up the middle from DeMilt led to a double into the left-field corner by McCleary. Ramos promptly singled, driving in both runs.
- Carver kept the Purple Knights scoreless in the second as the offense added more run support.
- Duignan led off the frame with a triple and scored the third run after an errant throw on a Rigogliosi fielder's choice.
- DeMilt moved Rigogliosi to third on a double to left, and a wild pitch scored the grad student. DeMilt later scored on a ground ball from Ramos to make it 5-0.
- Saint Michael's threatened in the top of the third with two on and no outs, but Carver escaped with two flyouts and a strikeout.
- With runners on, Rigogliosi ripped a double to right-center, extending the lead to 7-0.
- The lead grew to 8-0 in the fourth after a McCleary double and an RBI single from Matt Ryan.
- Saint Michael's got on the board in the fifth, capitalizing on an error and two walks; Josh Ayala drove in two to make it 8-3.
- Adelphi responded with four runs to take a 12-3 lead into the sixth. Rigogliosi singled to start the rally, and DeMilt followed with his fourth hit of the day.
- Catuosco and McCleary each added RBI singles, and Rengifo drove in two more.
- Adelphi added four more runs in the sixth, highlighted by a DeMilt RBI single (his fifth hit of the day) and a bases-clearing double from McCleary.
- Colin Richardson, Zach Rovner, and Michael Tufo combined to close out the 17-3 victory.
ABOUT THE NE10
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