BASEBALL DROPS FIRST GAME IN
DOUBLE ELIMINATION ROUND OF
NE-10 TOURNAMENT, 4-3
RINDGE, NH - The 5th seeded Pace University baseball team, ranked sixth in the latest NCAA Division II Baseball Northeast Region Poll, dropped its first game in the double elimination round of the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament against the #1 seeded Bryant University Bulldogs by a score of 4-3 today at Dr. Pappas Field in Rindge, NH. The Setters return to action tomorrow morning at 11:00 am in an elimination game against the #2 seed Southern Connecticut State University, who dropped a 5-2 decision earlier in the day against the #3 seed and host Franklin Pierce University.
Bryant (39-17) scored all four of their runs in the bottom of the first inning, highlighted by a two-run homerun off the bat of Pat McKenna that brought home Jeff Vigurs. McKenna finished the game going a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate on the day. Nick Campbell put the Bulldogs on the board with an RBI single up the middle that plated Jason Alexander, who led off the inning getting hit by a pitch. Pat O'Connor scored a run taking advantage of a Pace fielding error.
The Setters (31-22) would get on the board in the top of the third inning on an RBI single down the right field line from junior Andre Liscinsky (Trumbull, CT/Trumbull) that brought home senior Joe Barracato (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke), who tripled to left center to reach base. Liscinsky would finish the game going 3-for-4 at the plate.
The game would remain 4-1 until the top of the eighth as Barracato's RBI groundout to second brought home junior transfer Joe Cotone (Yorktown Heights, NY/Lakeland/UMass) , who led off the inning with a double down the left field line, for Pace's second run of the game. Cotone would finish the day with a pair of hits for the game. The Setters would tack on their third run of the game in the top of the ninth on freshman Laurence Flammia's (Massapeaqua Park, NY/St. Anthony's) RBI single to left center that scored junior Denis Alimonti (Jefferson Valley, NY/Lakeland), who came into the game as a pinch runner for senior Matt Rigoli (Parsippany, NJ/Parsippany), who singled up the middle to lead off the inning. Pace would be unable to plate any more runs as the Bulldogs would hold off the Setters and escape with a 4-3 victory.
Junior starting pitcher Zach Dayton (North Falmouth,
MA/Falmouth) (4-4) took the loss for Pace, tossing 7 2/3
innings allowing four runs on seven hits, to go along with six
strikeouts. Dayton's counterpart Eric Loh (10-2) picked up the win
going 7 2/3 innings allowing two runs on seven hits, while walking
one and striking out three. Eric Polvani earned his 12th
save of the season tossing the final 1 1/3 surrendering one run on
two hits.