HAMDEN, Conn. - Elijah Spataj (Cheshire, Conn.) hit two home runs, but the Albertus Magnus College baseball team lost 11-10 in ten innings to Lasell University in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) game on Friday evening at Hamden High School.

Spataj finished his day 4-for-5 with five RBI and two runs. Adriel Espada (Bridgeport, Conn.) was 4-for-4 with three RBI and a run. Bobby Arent (Ridgefield, Conn.) was 3-for-6 with two runs and Vance Ward (Norwalk, Conn.) scored three times.

THE BASICS

FINAL: Lasell 11 | Albertus Magnus 10 (10 Innings)

RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (3-9, 2-1 GNAC) | Lasell (12-7, 1-1 GNAC)

BOX

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Albertus opened up the game with the bats firing on all cylinders, taking a 5-0 lead after two innings. Shawn Smith (Shelton, Conn.) had an RBI single in the bottom of the first while Spataj hit a three run homer in the second inning while Espada hit an RBI double to drive in Tyler Czeremcha (New Britain, Conn.).
• Lasell rallied to make it a 5-4 game after scoring two runs apiece in the third and fourth innings as Tim Callahan hit an RBI triple in the third and Jared Whitby hit a two-run double in the fourth to highlight the scoring.
• The Lasers took their first lead of the game in the top of the sixth on a two-run homer from Ross Audet. The lead was short-lived as Albertus scored three more times in the bottom of the sixth. Arent led off the inning with a double and two batters later Espada's sacrifice fly tied the game, 6-6. After a single from Ward, Spataj hit his second homer of the game, a two-run shot to put the Falcons back up, 8-6.
• Again, Lasell answered in the top of the seventh on a two-run homer from Brad Edwards before Aaron McIntyre (East Haven, Conn.) struck out the side to end Lasell's scoring in the inning.
• The Falcons took their third lead of the game in the bottom of the seventh as Arent and Czeremcha hit back-to-back doubles to put the Falcons back up, 9-8. Espada then followed with another RBI double to make it a 10-8 game.
• Both teams went scoreless in the eighth inning. However, in the top of the ninth, the first three batters reached base for the Lasers and Connor Freitas drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to make it a one-run game. With two outs in the inning and runners on second and third, Audet fouled off four straight pitches, and eventually hitting an RBI single to drive in Jonah Nielsen to tie the game, 10-10.
• In the bottom of the ninth, the Falcons loaded the bases with two outs but were unable to get a run across, sending the game into extra frames.
• In the top of the tenth, the Lasers loaded the bases with no outs and Scott Lyon drove in the go-ahead run to take the 11-10 lead.
• Arent got on base in the bottom of the tenth with a two-out single, but Albertus was unable to capitalize.

ON THE MOUND

Albertus

• Kevin Pascual (Norwalk, Conn.) 5.0 IP | 6 Runs | 6 ER | 8 Hits | 1 BB | 4 K
• Aaron McIntyre 3.0 IP | 3 Runs | 3 ER | 3 Hits | 1 BB | 4 K
• Tyler Harger (North Haven, Conn.) (L, 1-1) 2.0 IP | 2 Runs | 2 ER | 4 Hits | 2 BB | 2 K

Lasell

• Jeremy Blackwood 3.0 IP | 5 Runs | 5 ER | 5 Hits | 4 BB | 2 K
• Zachary Simone 3.1 IP | 5 Runs | 3 ER | 8 Hits | 1 BB | 1 K
• Pierce Clare 0.2 IP | 0 Runs | 0 ER | 1 Hit | 1 BB | 1 K
• Darek Lallo 1.0 IP | 0 Runs | 0 ER | 1 Hit | 0 BB | 0 K
• Ethan Bernardo (W, 1-2) 1.0 IP | 0 Runs | 0 ER | 1 Hit | 2 BB | 2 K
• Matthew Fletcher (Save) 0 Runs | 0 ER | 1 Hit | 0 BB | 1 K

AT THE PLATE

Albertus

• Adriel Espada 4-for-4 | 2 2B | 3 RBI | 1 Run
• Elijah Spataj 4-for-5 | 2 HR | 5 RBI | 2 Runs
• Bobby Arent 3-for-6 | 2 2B | 2 Runs 
• Vance Ward 1-for-3 | 1 BB | 3 Runs

Lasell

• Tim Callahan 3-for-4 | 1 2B | 3 Runs | 1 RBI
• Ross Audet 4-for-5 | 2 Runs | 3 RBI | 1 HR
• Brad Edwards 2-for-5 | 1 Run | 2 RBI

NOTEWORTHY

• The Falcons finished with a season-high 17 hits. It was the fourth game this season Albertus has had at least 10 hits.
• It was the second time in his career that Spataj has hit two home runs in a game. He has four in the season, tying him for first in the GNAC.
• Espada is riding an eight-game hitting streak and currently leads the GNAC with a .463 batting average.

UP NEXT

• The Falcons will go on the road to face Mitchell College in a GNAC road doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon.