THE BASICS:
- Score: Assumption 8, American International 6 (Game one); Assumption 13, American International 11 (Game two)
- Records: Assumption (17-11, 5-5 NE10), American International (11-12, 2-3 NE10)
- Location: Worcester, Mass. (Rocheleau Field)
- The Lead: After fending off a late-inning comeback in game one to win 8-6, Jake Hamel (Uxbridge, Mass. / Saint John's) blasted one over the center field fence to walk-off with a 13-11 win in game two to lead the Assumption Greyhounds to a sweep of their doubleheader with the American International Yellow Jackets on Saturday at Rocheleau Field.
HOW IT HAPPENED: GAME ONE
-After pitching a scoreless seventh and with his team holding on to an 8-3 lead, Kyle Autilio (Saugus, Mass. / Saugus High School) came out for the eight and struggled. Two runs scored on an error by shortstop Hunter Tralli (Berlin, Conn. / Northwest Catholic) and Autilio loaded the bases on a single and walk. Patrick Harrington (Bedford, NH / Bedford High School) then came on and walked Eugene Quirk to cut Assumption's lead to two at 8-6. He then struck out pinch-hitter Anthony Clark to end the inning and then stranded one walk in the ninth to secure the win.
-Assumption had gone up 8-3 by scoring three runs in both the fifth and sixth innings. They scored one run on three separate singles in the fifth to take an initial 4-3 lead. Dillon Koster (Woburn, Mass. / Woburn / Marist College) extended the lead to 7-3 when he tripled in two runs on a ball hit to center field. Matt Lonardo (Cranston, RI / Cranston High School) made it 8-3 by driving in Koster on a single by third base.
-The Yellow Jackets started the game up 2-0, but the Hounds closed that gap to one thanks to a home run by Connor Wironen (Leominster, Mass. / Saint Bernard's) in the bottom half of the first. Assumption also closed the deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI-single by Alex Richardson (Rehoboth, Mass. / Bishop Feehan).
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
-Koster went 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs, three runs and one walk in game one. Lonardo and Richardson had two hits and two RBIs each, while Lonardo added one run. Wironen and Trevor McQuade (Westwood, Mass. / Xaverian) added two runs each.
-Lonardo has batted well as of late, going 11-for-25 (.440) in his last six games. He has six RBIs and three runs during that span.
-Cole Chudoba (Oxford, Conn. / Oxford High School) started and went six innings to earn the win, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and one walk while striking out six. Autilio pitched 1 2/3 innings and allowed three runs (zero earned), while Harrington earned his first collegiate save by pitching 1 1/3 of scoreless baseball.
-Joe Pepe picked up the loss for the Yellow Jackets, allowing five runs on eight hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings. Matt Liebkemann tossed the final 3 ½ innings and allowing three runs on four hits and one walk. Matt Krause led AIC at the plate, going 3-for-5 with three runs and one RBI.
HOW IT HAPPENED: GAME TWO
-A single from Richardson set runners on first and second and brought the game to one at 11-10 before Hamel did his thing. On a pitch over the plate, Hamel stroked one to deep center field, putting one over the wall to walk-off with the 13-11 win and doubleheader sweep against AIC.
-AIC went up 11-10 one inning prior to Hamel's heroics. After the Hounds brought in Marc Metivier (Billerica, Mass. / Lexington Christian Academy) for the start of the eighth, the Yellow Jackets scored three runs on an RBI-groundout and double by Reed Phillips to take an 11-10 lead. James Flahive sat down the Hounds three-in-a-row in the bottom half of the inning before giving up the home run in the ninth.
-Flahive did come on in the seventh and allowed the Hounds to take a 9-8 lead however. After Angel Mendez allowed three runs in the innings, Flahive came in and got Hamel out trying to take second to end the inning, but Hamel was still able to do his job of allowing Tralli to take home on the play to put Assumption up by one.
-The Hounds' four run fourth came after being up 5-2 through five. Starter Mike Curtis (Wilmington, Mass. / Wilmington High School) did not allow a run until the fifth, going five strong innings and striking out five. James Cappello (Marlborough, Mass. / Assabet Valley Regional Technical) came in for the sixth and could only get one out before allowing three runs on two hits and one walk. Andrew Moccia (Lynn, Mass. / Lynn Classical) relieved Capello and would have gotten out of the inning if not for an error at first that scored two. AIC then went up 7-5 on an RBI-triple by Clark before Moccia forced a ground out to end the inning.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
-Hamel went 2-for-4 with four RBIs, two runs and two walks in game two to go along with the game-winning homer. Hamel entered the game batting .333 in 27 at-bats with four doubles and one home run. Lonardo went 2-for-2 with three RBIs, two runs and two walks as well, while Richardson had two RBIs.
-TJ Masella (Northborough, Mass. / Our Lady of Lourdes) earned the win, pitching a scoreless ninth while allowing only one walk and striking out one. It was a good performance out of a bullpen that previously gave up nine runs (six earned) on six hits and five walks prior to Masella coming in.
-Flahive earned the loss for AIC, allowing four runs on two hits and two walks while striking out two. Joe Kemlage started and allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits and seven walks and Mendez allowed four runs on four hits and one walk in 1 2/3 innings of relief. Cam Defeo lead the Yellow Jackets at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs, while Phillips had four RBIs.
UP NEXT:
- The Hounds travel to Stonehill on Wednesday, April 10, with first pitch set for 3:30 p.m.
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