HAMDEN, Conn. - The Albertus Magnus College baseball team split a conference doubleheader against Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) rival Anna Maria College on Tuesday night. The Falcons battled through a 7-3 extra-innings defeat in game one before taking the nightcap by a final score of 5-4 on a walk-off wild pitch.

Michael Pepe (Cheshire, Conn.) had a strong start for the Falcons in game one, tossing five innings of two-run baseball, while scattering seven hits and striking out one. Ike Flannery (Wethersfield, Conn.) followed up in game two with a complete-game effort that saw him allow four runs, three earned, on six hits, and three walks. Flannery also struck out a season-high eight batters. Matt Lewczyk (Windsor, Conn.) led the Falcons offensively, going 3-for-7 with a run scored, two runs batted in, and two walks in the doubleheader.

THE BASICS
FINAL (G1): Anna Maria 7 | Albertus Magnus 3 - 10 Innings
FINAL (G2): Albertus 5 | Anna Maria 4
RECORDS: Albertus (2-13, 2-4 GNAC) | Anna Maria (14-9, 5-1 GNAC)
LOCATION: Rochford Field - Hamden, Conn.

HOW IT HAPPENED - Game 1
Neither team could get anything going in the first inning, as Falcons' starter Pepe and AMCATS starter Jack Marzec combined to throw a scoreless first inning. The AMCATS put two men on with one out in the second, but Pepe induced a groundout and a flyout to neutralize the threat and keep Anna Maria off the board.

Lewzcyk led off the second frame for the Falcons with a single back through the box. A groundout and a throwing error from the AMCATS put Lewczyk on third. However, Marzec was unperturbed, sandwiching a pair of strikeouts around an Anthony Broadhurst (Stratford, Conn.) walk to end the frame and keep the Falcons off the board.

Marzec's control faltered in the third inning as the senior hit a batter and walked three straight hitters. Shawn Smith (Shelton, Conn.) scored the lone run for the Falcons in the inning. Marzec recovered, however, striking out the final hitter to end the inning.

The AMCATS connected for two hits off of Pepe in the fifth inning, but the righty remained firm on the mound, inducing an inning-ending groundout to preserve a 1-0 Falcons lead. AMC could not score in the fourth inning, and the teams transitioned into the fifth inning.

Pepe set the AMCATS down in order in the fifth inning before Marzec's control continued to elude him in the bottom half of the frame. The Falcons loaded the bases with two outs behind a pair of walks and a hit batsman. However, Marzec was unperturbed, retiring the final hitter to strand all three Falcon baserunners.

Anna Maria loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth inning before back-to-back hit-by-pitches scored two runs for the AMCATS. A sacrifice fly out from Elijah Spataj scored a third run for Anna Maria and sent the teams into the bottom half of the sixth inning, with Albertus trailing 3-1.
The Falcons put two on with two outs in the sixth. Joseph Cortes (Bridgeport, Conn.) was hit by a pitch before Sean Jefferson (West Haven, Conn.) singled into left field. With two on and two out, Lewczyk stepped to the plate and smashed a double to left center that scored both Cortes and Jefferson, tying the game at 3-all.

The Falcons threatened in the eighth, putting runners on second and third with two outs before Anna Maria reliever Nick Choate slammed the door with an inning-ending groundout.

Anna Maria threatened again in the top of the ninth, but the Falcon's bullpen held firm and denied the visitor's the run, with Tristan Smith (Salem, Conn.) recording a huge double-play ground out to end the frame and keep the teams tied at three. However, the Falcons could not get anything going off of Anna Maria reliever Nick Choate, and the teams continued to play into the 10th inning.

The AMCATS broke open the game in the 10th, loading the bases with one out. Spataj stepped to the plate and unloaded on a fastball, launching it over the left-field wall for a go-ahead grand slam that put Anna Maria on top 7-3.

The Falcons put a runner on with two outs in the bottom of the 10th but were unable to score the runner, and the game ended in a 7-3 loss to Anna Maria.

TOP PERFORMERS

• WP: Nick Choate (W, 1-1) - 4.0 Innings | 0 Runs | 0 Hits | 3 Walks | 9 Strikeouts
• LP: Tristan Smith (L, 0-2) - 0.2 Innings | 2 Runs | 0 Hits | 2 Walks
• Lewczyk led the way for Albertus with two hits and two RBIs.
• Lewczyk reached base four times for Albertus, adding two walks to his two hits.
• Cortes led AMC with two runs scored.
• Pepe led the Falcons on the mound, tossing a solid 5.0 innings with two runs allowed in seven hits.
• Caden Cloutier (Wallingford, Conn.) threw a scoreless 1.2 innings in relief.

HOW IT HAPPENED - Game 2
Anna Maria could not get anything going in the first inning against Falcons' starter Flannery, as Flannery held the visitors scoreless in the first frame. Anna Maria starter Anthony Pingeton recorded two quick outs in the first inning before issuing a walk to Matt Warren (Wolcott, Conn.). Jason Sullivan (Meriden, Conn.) punished the walk on the next at-bat, as the big righty smashed a fastball over the fence to dead-center field for a two-run home run that gave Albertus the early lead. Pingeton retired the next hitter to end the inning, but the Falcons held the 2-0 lead after one frame.

The AMCATS responded quickly, putting up a two-spot in the top of the second inning. Anna Maria capitalized on a walk and a Falcons' error to score two runs and tie the game at 2-all. However, Flannery made up for it with a scoreless third inning. Meanwhile, Albertus was retired in order in the second and third innings.

Anna Maria threatened in the fourth as Spataj lifted a pitch into the left-center field gap for a two-out double. However, Flannery was resolute as the righty retired Jake Gagnon via flyout to stymie the threat.

The Falcons loaded the bases to start the bottom half of the fourth. Warren led off with a double into right field before an AMCATS error put Sullivan on board and moved Warren over to third. A Jefferson walk filled the bags for David Flynn (Milford, Conn.). Flynn wasted no time, roping a line drive single through the box to score Warren and regain the lead for the Falcons. Pingeton slammed the door from there, striking out the next three hitters to end the frame.

The AMCATS led off the fifth inning with a hit by pitch before Flannery recorded two quick outs. Then, a long triple into center field from Jeremy Rosenberg scored the Anna Maria baserunner and tied the game at 3-3. Unfortunately, the Falcons could not counter Anna Maria in the bottom of the fifth, and the score remained deadlocked at three heading into the sixth inning.

The visitors loaded the bases with one out to start the sixth inning before a hit batsman drove in a run and gave Anna Maria the 4-3 lead. However, the Falcons couldn't answer the call in the sixth, and the teams transitioned into the final inning, with the AMCATS up 4-3.

Anna Maria threatened again in the seventh, putting two men aboard, but Flannery battled on the mound and held the visitors scoreless in the seventh inning, striking out Jarrod Marifiote looking to end the frame.

Down by a run in the last of the seventh, S. Smith stepped to the plate and didn't disappoint. The righty turned on a pitch over the plate and walloped the ball over the left-center field fence to tie the game at 4-all.

Pingeton retired the next two hitters before the Falcons went back to work. Lewcyzk ripped a two-out single into right-center before Warren followed up with a two-out walk. AMCATS' reliever Chris Brouwer skipped one in the dirt that advanced both Lewczyk and Warren. Then, with runners on second and third and two outs, Brouwer vainly tried to spot a low fastball and repeated his previous play, skipping a fastball into the backstop that plated Lewczyk from third and sent the Falcons home with a 5-4 walk-off victory.

TOP PERFORMERS

• WP: (Ike Flannery, 1-1) - 7 Innings | 4 Runs | 6 Hits | 3 Walks | 8 Strikeouts
• LP: (Anthony Pingeton, 0-3) - 6.2 Innings | 5 Runs | 5 Hits | 2 Walks | 12 Strikeouts
• Warren led the Falcons offense in game 2, going 1-for-2, with a double, two walks, and two runs scored.
• Sullivan went 1-for-3 with a home run, a run scored, and two RBIs.
• S. Smith went 1-for-3 with a home run, a run scored, and an RBI.
• Spataj led the AMCATS offensively, with a 3-for-4 showing that included two doubles, a run scored, and an RBI.

NOTEWORTHY

• Lewczyk's double and RBIs are the first of his senior year.
• Sullivan's home run is the second of the season and is the second in the last two days.
• Flynn recorded his first RBI of the season.
• S. Smith's home run was the first of his career.
• Flannery threw the first complete game of his career in tonight's victory.
• Flannery picked up his first win of the season.
• The Falcons handed the AMCATS their first GNAC loss of the season. 

UP NEXT
The Falcons return to the diamond on Saturday, April 9th, for a home doubleheader against the Raiders of Rivier University. Game one is slated for a 1 PM start, while game two will begin at 3 PM.