A seven-run first inning lifted the Albertus Magnus baseball team to a 9-5 win over Westfield State on Tuesday night in non-conference action.

 

Senior Daniel Kmiechick (Barnegat, N.J.) picked up his second-straight victory on the hill for the Falcons as he went six innings allowing eight hits and three walks as he faced 27 batters.  The win marked the 10th for the Falcons this season, while it also marked the 99th of the career of head coach Brian Leighton.

 

Albertus' seven-run opening inning was led by six Falcons hits, including a two-RBI single by Justin Poirier (Meriden, Conn.).  Freshman Tyler Graziano (Trumbull, Conn.) led off the game by being hit by a pitch.  After a Zak Sokolis (Meriden, Conn.) single and a walk by Anthony Pellegrino (Branford, Conn.), Graziano scored as Jordan Kubilus (Cheshire, Conn.) hit into a double-play.  With two outs, senior Robert Gambardella (North Haven, Conn.) singled up the middle to score Sokolis from third. After Gambardella stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch, Arber Mehmedi (Naugatuck, Conn.) walked to put runners on the corners.  Westfield State's Bobby Chaiton couldn't make it out of the first inning on the mound for the Owls.

 

After a pitching change for the Owls, Sage Leonard (Northford, Conn.) was hit by a pitch before four-straight RBI singles by the Falcons.  Nick Sedia (Bronx, N.Y.), Poirier, Graziano and Sokolis each followed with RBI singles to give Albertus a 7-0 lead.

 

Westfield scored one of its runs in the bottom of the frame adding two more runs in the second. Albertus added to its tally with a run in the top of the sixth as Pellegrino registered an RBI single.  The Falcons' ninth run of the game came in the top of the final inning as Kubilus singled in a run on a base hit up the middle.

 

Chris Massimino (Wallingford, Conn.) threw two innings and allowed just one hit, while Mike Hughes (Norwalk, Conn.) allowed three hits and two unearned runs in the bottom of the ninth.

 

The Falcons head to Boston on Saturday, April 20 for a doubleheader against Suffolk.  The games will be played at Tufts.