Led by Zak Sokolis (Meriden, Conn.), who combined for five hits and six RBI on the night, the Albertus Magnus baseball team recorded back-to-back victories over Rivier University in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader at Quigley Stadium in West Haven, Conn.
Sokolis hit a two-run home run in the opening game and walked for the game-winning RBI. In the second contest, the senior was 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
With the wins, the Falcons improve to 12-13 on the year and 5-7 in league play, while Rivier is now 2-24 overall and 1-11 in the GNAC standings.
Game One:
Rivier took a 2-0 lead in the third thanks to four hits and two Albertus errors. Both runs came with two outs in the frame as the errors were on misplays of the ball after base hits into the outfield.
Patrick Dornfried (Berlin, Conn.) led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a double to right center, his fifth two-bagger of the season. Sokolis put runners on the corners with a base hit to right before Anthony Pellegrino (Branford, Conn.) helped his own cause with a sacrifice fly to deep right center. Dornfried scored on the play to cut the Rivier lead to one.
Jack Pritchard (Orange, Conn.) followed with a base hit before Jordan Kubilus (Cheshire, Conn.) connected on an RBI single to right center to tie the game at two.
Nick Sedia (Bronx, N.Y.) singled with one out in the fifth before scoring on a two-out home run over the right field wall by Sokolis. It was the senior's second homer of the season as he put the Falcons up 4-2 after five innings.
Rivier put two runners on with no outs in the top of the seventh inning on back-to-back singles. A double by Taylor Black cut the Falcons' lead to one before the Falcons' internally walked the bases loaded with no outs.
The Falcons' registered an out at home before a sacrifice fly tied the game at four. The Falcons got out of the jam to head into the bottom of the frame with the score tied at four.
Mike Saia (Bridgeport, Conn.) led off the bottom of the frame with a single down the left field line before advancing into scoring position. After a wild pitch moved Saia to third, Sokolis worked to a full count before walking in the winning run.
Dornfried registered his 100th career hit in the ballgame to lead the Falcons with a 2-for-4 outing, while Sokolis was 2-for-4 with a home run and the walk which scored the game-winning run.
Pellegrino earned the nod for the Falcons as he threw the complete game, while allowing four runs on nine hits. He walked four and struck out four batters as well.
Matthew Keefe fell to 1-3 with the loss as he allowed four runs on seven hits. Alex Mears walked in the game winning run after giving up three hits.
Game Two:
The Falcons scored two runs in the opening frame and then two more in the second. Sokolis singled down the left field line to register his first two RBI of the game. Albertus scored four runs on five hits and one Rivier error, while Sokolis singled up the middle to score Dornfried from second.
Kris Daur-Schierholz (East Haven, Conn.) and Justin Poirier (Meriden, Conn.) both singled in runs during the inning as well.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Pellegrino added a single to center to register two RBI, putting the Falcons ahead 10-2 after five innings. The Falcons added four more runs in the sixth inning thanks to an RBI single from Sedia. Vinny Purgatore (Hamden, Conn.) also tallied an RBI with a single to left field.
Kubilus earned a 3-1 victory from the hill. He allowed seven hits and two runs scored, while striking out two. Mike Hughes (Norwalk, Conn.) walked one and struck out one in one inning of work.
Rivier's Nicolas Pica dropped to 0-5 on the year as he allowed eight runs on 10 hits in 3.2 innings pitched.
Albertus will head to Norwich on Saturday to take on the Cadets in a GNAC doubleheader.