PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Albertus Magnus College baseball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader to conference-foe Johnson & Wales University on Saturday afternoon in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) match-up. The Falcons came up short in game one, 4-1, before losing the nightcap by a final score of 11-4.
Nhasean Murphy (Manchester, Conn.) and Matt Lewczyk (Windsor, Conn.) led the Falcons on offense in the doubleheader, as Lewczyk went 3-for-7 with a run scored and an RBI and Murphy went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI.
THE BASICS
FINAL (G1): Johnson & Wales 4 | Albertus Magnus 1
FINAL (G2): Johnson & Wales 11 | Albertus Magnus 4
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (7-20, 5-9 GNAC) | Johnson & Wales (12-20, 10-4 GNAC)
LOCATION: Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletic Complex
HOW IT HAPPENED - Game 1
The pitchers controlled the game to start game one. Ike Flannery (Wethersfield, Conn.) started on the mound for the Falcons and retired six of the first seven hitters faced, allowing only a double in the second inning. Wildcats' starter Dane DellaValle matched Flannery with six straight outs over the first two innings and the teams transitioned to the third inning, deadlocked at zero.
DellaValle got two quick outs to start the third before Murphy opened things up with a double into left field. A Lewczyk single in the very next at-bat scored Murphy for the first run of the game and gave the Falcons the early advantage. Ron Losacano (Old Lyme, Conn.) followed up with a single to put runners on first and second before DellaValle slammed the door with an inning-ending strikeout.
The Wildcats retaliated quickly, putting runners on the corners in the bottom of the frame with one out. A sacrifice fly-out to centerfield scored the runner from third to tie the game at 1-all. Flannery induced a fly-out from Miles Kelly to end the third and keep the score deadlocked at 1-1.
The pitchers regained control after the third inning, as both hurlers combined to throw a scoreless fourth and fifth inning. The Wildcats led off the bottom of the fourth with a single, before the Falcons turned a double play to eliminate the base runner.
Murphy singled with two outs in the fifth and promptly stole second. However, the surge was short-lived, as Lewczyk lined a shot into center field that was snared for the final out of the inning to keep the game tied at 1-all heading into the sixth frame.
Losacano reached on an error to lead off the sixth, but the Wildcats quickly induced back-to-back fielder's choices and a strikeout to hold the Falcons at one.
Still tied at 1-1, the Wildcats erupted in the bottom of the sixth for three runs off of four hits to take the 4-1 lead heading into the final inning. The Falcons were unable to respond in the top of the seventh and fell to the Wildcats in game one by a final score of 4-1.
TOP PERFORMERS
- WP: Dane DellaValle (W, 3-4) – 7.0 Innings | 4 Hits | 1 Run | 0 Walks | 10 Strikeouts
- LP: Ike Flannery (L, L, 2-2) – 5.2 Innings | 9 Hits | 4 Runs | 1 Walk | 1 Strikeout
- Murphy was 2-for-2 with a run scored and a double.
- Lewczyk was 1-for-3 with an RBI.
- Losacano picked up a hit in the game.
HOW IT HAPPENED - Game 2
Lewczyk led off the second game of the doubleheader by reaching second on a Wildcats' fielding error. A Losacano bunt moved him over to third for Matt Warren (Wolcott, Conn.), who flew out to centerfield to score Lewczyk for the first run of the game. Wildcats' pitcher Kyle Cutler retired Jason Sullivan (Meriden, Conn.) to end the inning.
The Wildcats roared right back in the bottom of the first inning, loading the bases with two outs off of Falcons' starter Tristan Smith (Salem, Conn.). A walk brought home the tying run before Smith induced a groundout to hold the score at 1-all.
With one out, Nick Ramos (Mineola, N.Y.) got hold of a pitch and launched a bomb over the outfield fence to increase the Falcons' lead to 2-1. Shawn Smith (Shelton, Conn.) followed up with a double into left field, before advancing to third on a passed ball. With one out and a runner on third, Murphy stepped to the dish and drove a pitch over the wall for a two-run home run. Up 4-1, the Falcons kept the momentum going as a Lewczyk single and Losacano error continued the Falcon's hit parade before Cutler stymied the rally with a strikeout.
JWU answered again in the bottom of the second inning, scoring two runs to trim the deficit to one and make it a 4-3 game heading into the top of the third inning.
The Wildcats' continued to apply pressure in the bottom of the third, scoring three runs on three hits and an error to take the 6-4 lead into the fourth inning.
JWU held the Falcons off of the board in the top of the fourth inning, before hanging a three-spot up in the bottom half of the inning to take a commanding 9-4 lead.
Albertus put two on with two outs in the top of the fifth, as Losacano was hit by a pitch and Jefferson worked a walk, but Cutler bore down and retired Ramos to end the inning and deny the Falcon's the score. The Wildcats added two more insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take an 11-4 lead.
The Falcons were unable to respond in the final two innings and fell to the Wildcats in game two by a final score of 11-4.
TOP PERFORMERS
- WP: Kyle Cutler (W, 4-0) – 7.0 Innings | 5 Hits | 4 Runs | 2 Walks | 7 Strikeouts
- LP: Tristan Smith (L, 1-3) – 2.1 Innings | 3 Hits | 5 Runs | 6 Walks | 3 Strikeouts
- Lewczyk was 2-for-4 with a run scored.
- Ramos was 1-for-3 with a run scored, an RBI, and a home run.
- Murphy was 1-for-3 a run scored and two RBIs.
NOTEWORTHY
- The Falcons are 33-40 all-time against the Wildcats.
- Murphy is hitting .500 (5-for-10) in his last four games with two doubles, a home run, three runs scored, and two RBIs.
- Ramos connected for his first collegiate hit in tonight's game and his first collegiate home run.
- S. Smith is batting .556 (10-for-18) in his last six games.
UP NEXT
The Falcons return to the diamond tomorrow, April 24th, for a home doubleheader with the Chargers of Colby-Sawyer College at Rochford Field. Game one is scheduled for a 1 PM start, while game two will start at 3:30 PM.
Prior to game two of the doubleheader, the Albertus Magnus baseball team will be honoring its 10-member senior class - Matt Warren, Nhasean Murphy, David Flynn (Milford, Conn.), Matthew Silverstein (Shelton, Conn.), Joe Matthews (Anaheim, Calif.), Alan Stinson (Watertown, Conn.), Michael Pepe (Cheshire, Conn.), Matt Lewczyk, Ike Flannery, and Michael Berdnik.