AUBURNDALE, Fla. - Elijah Spataj (Cheshire, Conn.) drove in six runs as the Albertus Magnus College baseball team defeated Lakeland College (Wisconsin), 12-10 on Friday afternoon at the RussMatt Baseball Tournament.

Spataj also went 4-for-5 with a run scored and a double. Vance Ward (Norwalk, Conn.) went 3-for-5 with three runs and an RBI. King Rivera (Bridgeport, Conn.) drove in two runs and scored a run.

Albert Molina (Terryville, Conn.) earned the win pitching 6.1 innings and striking out two.

THE BASICS

FINAL: Albertus Magnus 12 | Lakeland 10

RECORDS: Albertus (2-5) | Lakeland (6-6)

BOX

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Falcons jumped all over Lakeland starter Thor Dunham, scoring five runs over the first two innings. After Ward singled and a walk to Adriel Espada (Bridgeport, Conn.) to lead off the bottom of the first inning, Spataj drove in his first run with a single. Two batters later Bobby Arent (Ridgefield, Conn.) drew a walk and Nick Ramos (Mineola, N.Y.) followed with a bases loaded walk of his own to make it a 2-0 game.
• With one out in the second, Ward and Espada singled and Spataj ripped a double to score both, putting the Falcons up, 4-0. After a pitching change, Shawn Smith (Shelton, Conn.) greeted Anthony Yust with an RBI single to make it a 5-0 game.
• The Muskies trimmed their deficit in the third with two runs that included an RBI double by OakLee Spens, but Spataj delivered again with an RBI single.
• Lakeland scored a run apiece in both the fifth and sixth innings making it a 7-4 game.
• Albertus batted around the order in the bottom of the sixth, scoring five runs, all scored with two outs. Ramos walked and Colin Telford (Branford, Conn.) reached on an error. With runners on second and third, Rivera hit a single to score both baserunners, putting Albertus up, 9-4. Ward then followed with an RBI single to score Rivera. Espada was then hit by a pitch and Spataj racked up two more RBI with a two-run single.
• The Muskies used the long ball to get back into the game. In the top of the seventh, Tucker Gegenfurtner hit a solo homer. In the eighth Spens hit a two-run homer. They'd score three more runs in the eighth to cut the Albertus lead to 12-10.
• With runners on first and second in the top of the ninth for the Muskies, Aaron McIntyre (East Haven, Conn.) induced a 6-4-3 double play to get out of the jam and earn the save.

ON THE HILL

Albertus

Albert Molina (W, 1-1) 6.1 IP | 12 Hits | 5 Runs | 3 ER | 1 BB | 2 K

Tyler Baldwin 1.1 IP | 2 Hits | 5 Runs | 2 ER | 1 BB | 1 K

Ryan Green 0.1 IP | 0 Hits | 0 Runs | 0 ER | 3 BB | 0 K

Aaron McIntyre (Save) | 1 Hit | 0 Runs | 0 ER | 1 BB | 1 K

Lakeland

Thor Dunham (L, 1-1) 1.1 IP | 5 Hits | 5 Runs | 5 ER | 3 BB | 0 K

Anthony Yust 2.2 IP 5 Hits | 2 Runs | 2 ER | 2 BB | 2 K

Rily Roberts 1.2 IP | 3 Hits | 5 Runs | 0 ER | 1 BB | 1 K

Sutton Shurley 0.1 IP | 0 Hits | 0 Runs | 0 ER | 1 BB | 0 K

Robert Vandorn 2.0 IP | 0 Hits | 0 Runs | 0 ER | 2 BB | 1 K

AT THE PLATE

Albertus

Elijah Spataj 4-for-5 | 1 2B | 1 Run | 6 RBI

Vance Ward 3-for-5 | 1 BB | 3 Runs | 1 RBI

King Rivera 1-for-3 | 2 BB | 1 Run | 2 RBI

Nick Ramos 1-for-3 | 1 2B | 2 BB | 2 Runs | 1 RBI

Lakeland

OakLee Spens 4-for-6 | 1 2B | 1 HR | 3 Runs | 4 RBI

Tucker Gegenfurtner 2-for-6 | 1 HR | 1 RBI | 1 Run

Landon Mani 3-for-6 | 1 Run | 1 RBI

NOTEWORTHY

Ward has a hit in each of the six games he has played this season. It was also his second three-hit performance. 

It was the second time in Spataj's career he drove in six runs in a game.

UP NEXT

The Falcons wrap up their trip to Florida with a 9:30 a.m. start against Nebraska Wesleyan on Saturday.