New Haven, CT - The Albertus Magnus College Baseball team dropped both games of a double header to visiting Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opponent St. Joseph's College (ME) on Thursday afternoon. The Falcons dropped the first game 5-4 in extra innings while dropping falling 7-3 in game two.
The first game saw St. Joe's jump out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first and take that lead into the fifth inning before senior shortstop Robert Bengivengo (Oxford, CT/Seymour) blasted a grand slam to give the Falcons a 4-3 lead. The score would remain the same until the top of the seventh with two out and no one on base. Sophomore outfielder Nate Martin (Chebeague Island, ME/Greely) singled softly off the end of the bat to second base to keep the inning alive. Martin stole second base. Sophomore outfielder Sam Butts (Saco, ME/Thorton Academy) doubled Martin home to tie the game at 4-4 entering the bottom half of the seventh.
The bottom of the seventh saw freshman outfielder Joe Martinez (Bronx, NY/Leadership Institute) single to lead of the inning. Junior second baseman Jon Almonte (New York, NY/LaSalle Academy) sacrifice bunted him over to second. After the next batter was hit by pitch, the Falcons failed to drive the run in with two pop outs to end the inning. Starting pitcher Matt Finkenzeller (Wolcott, CT/Sacred Heart) was removed in the top of the eighth inning after allowing a lead off single and hitting the next batter of the inning to have runners at first and second base with nobody out. Bengivengo came into pitch getting the next two hitter to fly out. With runners at first and third base, St. Joe's double stole as Bengivengo's throw shorthopped the catcher. A called third strike would end the inning with the Falcons coming to bat in the bottom of the eighth inning.
The bottom of the eighth saw the Falcons generate a two-out rally. Junior catcher Malcolm Mendez (New York City, NY/East Side Community) was hit by a pitch and lifted for a pinch runner. Freshman first baseman Jesse Castaldi (North Branford, CT/North Branford) singled up the middle to give the Falcons first and second with two outs. Freshman pinch hitter Victor DeSimone (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) grounded out to third base to end the threat.
The second game saw the Falcons take a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning when sophomore outfielder Rob Gambardella (North Haven, CT/North Haven) had an RBI single following the intentional walk to Bengivengo to put runners on first and second with two outs. Following a catcher's interference call, Mendez doubled to right center to give Albertus the 3-0 lead. St. Joe's would respond in the bottom frame with a solo-homerun by freshman catcher Alex Lorenc (Nanuet, NY/Clarkstown South) to cut the Falcon lead 3-1.
The top of the fifth featured a lead-off single for St Joe's. A sacrifice bunt called fair accounted for the second base runner with nobody out. Another sac bunt moved the runners to second and third with one out and the infield in. The Falcons were able to induce a shallow flyball to rightfield for teh second out of the inning. With a 1-2 count on the batter, an apparent strike three call just missed making the count 2-2. Senior infielder Chris Campbell (Rochester, NH/Spaulding) would take advantage drilling a two-run single to right to tie the game 3-3. Senior outfielder Todd Keneborus (Hollis Center ME, Cheverus) followed it up with an RBI single to give St. Joe's (ME) the 4-3 lead. Following a pitching change, St Joe's (ME) would tack on another RBI single taking the 5-3 lead.
The bottom of the Falcon fifth featured a homerun bid by Mendez who drove the ball to deep right center field with runners on first and second base and two outs as Keneborus made the catch against the wall for the third out of the inning. St. Joe's would add another run in the top of the seventh as Albertus didn't threaten the rest of the game.
Albertus drops to 5-16, 2-4 GNAC while St. Joe's (ME) improves to 18-9, 7-1 GNAC.
The Falcons travel to Nashua, NH to take on GNAC opponent Rivier College at historic Holman Stadium for a 1:00 pm doubleheader.
