NEW LONDON, Conn. — Anthony Abate (Naugatuck, Conn.) and Elijah Spataj (Cheshire, Conn.) each had a hand in four runs in the Albertus Magnus College baseball team's doubleheader loss to Great Northeast Athletic Conference in-state foe Mitchell College on Saturday. The Falcons dropped the first contest in a close 11-8 loss and fell 22-2 in the second. 

Abate crossed the plate twice and drove in a pair of Falcons, while Spataj scored twice and had two RBIs.

THE BASICS

GAME 1

FINAL: Mitchell 11 | Albertus Magnus 8

RECORDS: Mitchell (15-6, 5-0 GNAC) | Albertus (3-10, 2-2 GNAC)

BOX

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The hosts drove in four unanswered runs across the first, third, fourth and sixth innings to put Mitchell put, 4-0, ignited by a double along the right field line to bring home Owen Robbins.

• To snap the scoring drought for Albertus, Abate singled to the shortstop and allowed Bobby Arent (Ridgefield, Conn.) to cross the plate in the top of the seventh inning. Arent and Tyler Harger (North Haven, Conn.) led off the frame with back-to-back walks. Arent stole second base with Harger at the plate before the pair advanced a base off Colin Telford's (Branford, Conn.) sacrifice.

• The Falcons capitalized off an error by third base to allow Abate to advance to second and Harger to score from third base in the seventh inning.

• At the following at-bat, Spataj doubled down the left field line as Abate crossed home.

• After Shawn Smith (Shelton, Conn.) walked, Eric Galarza (Bridgeport, Conn.) drilled a two-bagger to right-center sending Spataj and Smith home to put Albertus up, 5-4, in the seventh frame.

• Mitchell drove in seven more runs in the bottom of the seventh and eighth before Abate, Spataj and Smith scored again in the ninth to cut the deficit to three before the final out.

ON THE HILL

Albertus

Albert Molina (L, 2-2) 6.2 IP | 11 Hits | 8 Runs | 5 ER | 5 BB | 3 K

Tyler Czeremcha 0.1 IP | 1 Hit

Nick Kownack 0.2 IP | 2 Hits | 3 Runs | 3 ER | 3 BB

Zack Fenn 0.1 IP

Mitchell

Jadon Canelli 6.0 IP | 3 Hits | 2 Runs | 2 ER | 5 BB | 5 K

Jacob Quiles (W, 3-2) 2.0 IP | 3 Hits | 3 Runs | 3 ER | 1 BB | 3 K

Jacob Ditscher 0.0 IP | 3 Hits | 3 Runs | 3 ER

Joshua Scamman 1.0 IP | 1 Hit | 2 K

AT THE PLATE

Albertus

Anthony Abate 2-for-5 | 2 Runs | 1 RBI

Elijah Spataj 3-for-5 | 2 Runs | 2 RBIs

Shawn Smith 1-for-4 | 2 Runs | 1 BB

Mitchell

Savier Paige 2-for-4 | 2 Runs | 2 RBIs

Michael Gajda 2-for-4 | 2 Runs | 1 BB

NOTEWORTHY

• Spataj notched at least one run in seven of his last eight games and has tallied a hit in nine of his last 11.

Game 2

THE BASICS

FINAL: Mitchell 22 | Albertus Magnus 2

RECORDS: Mitchell (16-6, 6-0) | Albertus (3-11, 2-3 GNAC)

BOX

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Mitchell tallied 15 runs in the first two innings, including 13 in a strong second frame.

• Arent put the Falcons on the scoreboard in the third off an Abate double to right center after the senior got on base off a two-bagger to left center.

• The Mariners added seven more runs in the fifth and sixth innings separated by a run by Tate Reilly (Estero, Fla.) after Sebastian Velez (East Haven, Conn.) grounded out to third base.

ON THE HILL

Albertus 

Toby Marineau (L, 0-3) 1.2 IP | 7 Hits | 12 Runs | 4 ER | 4 BB | 2 K

Aidan Kane 0.0 IP | 3 Runs | 3 BB

Dylan Correa 1.1 IP | 5 Hits | 3 Runs | 3 ER | 1 BB | 1 K

Kyle Hensel 3.0 IP | 4 Hits | 4 Runs | 2 ER | 2 BB

Mitchell

Nicholas Strojny (W, 2-0) 4.0 IP | 3 Hits | 1 Run | 1 ER | 1 K

Mason Rodriguez 2.0 IP | 2 Hits | 1 Run | 1 ER | 3 BB | 3 K

John Novak 1.0 IP | 1 Hit | 2 K

AT THE PLATE

Albertus

Anthony Abate 3-for-3 | 1 RBI

Bobby Arent 1-for-1 | 1 Run

Tate Reilly 0-for-2 | 1 Run | 1 BB

Mitchell 

Adam Vartanian 2-for-4 | 4 Runs | 1 RBI | 1 BB

Michael Ficocelli 1-for-2 | 2 Runs | 4 RBI | 2 BB

Chas Terni Jr. 4-for-4 | 1 Run | 4 RBI

NOTEWORTHY

• Abate recorded at least one hit in nine of his last 10 games.

UP NEXT

The Falcons travel to GNAC opponent Johnson & Wales (R.I.) on Tuesday with a 4:00 p.m. first pitch.