Baseball Drops Doubleheader at AIC
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Merrimack baseball team suffered a pair of losses at American International Friday afternoon. The Warriors fall to 11-21 on the season and 3-14 in the Northeast-10 Conference. The Yellow Jackets improved to 14-19 overall and 8-10 in the league with a 6-0 win and 4-2 decision.
Tim Curran (South Weymouth, Mass.) led the way with three hits including one triple and one RBI. Brandon Cox (Nashua, N.H.) raked two doubles on the day while Mark O'Flynn (Ipswich, Mass.) also drove in a run.
American International grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first in game one. Anthony Arrichiello singled to right field to drive in the first run of the day. Dennis Duffy and Dave Clark registered RBIs in the second to put the Yellow Jackets up 3-0.
A wild pitch in the sixth allowed American International to gain a four-run lead. Arrichiello drove in the fifth run of the game with a sacrifice fly to center in the seventh. The Yellow Jackets took a 6-0 advantage in the eighth on a passed ball.
Joe Mantoni (Hopedale, Mass.) went 2.2 innings on the mound for the Warriors, allowing three hits and three runs while striking out one. Keith Johansen (Tyngsborough, Mass.) tossed 4.1 innings in relief, surrendering two runs on two hits and fanning four batters.
Arrichiello singled up the middle to lead off the second and scored on a single by Clark to give the home team a 1-0 lead.
Merrimack grabbed its first advantage of the day, scoring twice in the top of the third inning. Cox led off the frame with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Alex Ciullo (Fall River, Mass.). O'Flynn drove in Cox with a single to left field. Following a walk issued to Eddie Newton (North Billerica, Mass.), Curran found the gap in right center and legged out a triple to push Newton across the plate to put the visitors up 2-1.
The Yellow Jackets tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the inning. Chris Amate doubled down the left field line to level the score.
American International seized a 3-2 lead in the home half of the sixth. Arrichiello scored from third on a single by Dan Fenton.
The hosts took a 4-2 edge in the eighth as Dillon Fontaine came home on a groundout by Sean McClelland.
Conner McMahon (Westfield, Mass.) hurled his first collegiate complete game in the nightcap. The rookie worked eight innings on the hill for the Warriors. McMahon allowed two earned runs and eight hits while retiring seven batters by way of the "K".
Merrimack returns to Warrior Diamond April 25 as it welcomes Franklin Pierce.
