Strong Pitching Performance Lifts Suffolk over Falcons 4-2

Kyle Calechman (North Haven, Conn.) went 2-for-3 with three RBI as the Albertus Magnus baseball team cruised to an 11-1 victory over Suffolk at Quigley Stadium in West Haven. With the Albertus win, the Falcons and Rams split their Saturday afternoon double-header.

Albertus (8-17, 4-6 GNAC) scored six runs in the second inning to pave the way to its fourth GNAC victory of the season. Jim Stanley (North Haven, Conn.) made his fifth start on the year as he went 5.1 innings, while allowing five hits and four runs scored. He struck out four and walked four batters as well. With the win, the junior improved to 3-1 on the year from the hill.

The Falcons loaded the bases in the bottom of the second inning as back-to-back singles and a walk with no outs set Albertus up for a six-run frame. After a groundout to second from Jon Almonte (New York, N.Y.) plated the Falcons’ first run of the contest, a bases clearing single by Nick Sedia (Bronx, N.Y.) gave the Falcons a 3-0 lead.

After two errors by the Rams’ defense put runners on first and second with two outs for the Falcons, Kyle Calechman (North Haven, Conn.) recorded his 30^th hit of the season with an RBI single to give Albertus a 4-0 advantage. The Falcons added two more runs as an RBI single to center from Malcolm Mendez (New York, N.Y.) plated both runners.

Suffolk scored its first run of the contest in the top of the sixth as Mike Cunningham scored on an RBI single up the middle by Dan Belanger. Cunningham recorded a two-out double to right to get into scoring position for the Rams before scoring.

The Falcons added two more runs in the fourth inning as they picked up three hits led by a Calechman RBI double that scored Patrick Dornfried (Berlin, Conn.) from first. Mendez followed with an RBI single through the left side of the infield that scored Calechman from second as he was the Falcons’ eighth run of the contest.

Albertus scored two more runs in the fifth as Fanol Prevalla (Berlin, Conn.) tallied an RBI single to left to plate Zak Sokolis (Meriden, Conn.) from third. With one out in the inning, Patrick Dornfried (Berlin, Conn.) was hit by a pitch for the first time this season to load the bases for Calechman. The senior, who entered the contest batting .423 with runners in scoring position, registered his third RBI of the contest with a sacrifice fly to left field, giving the Falcons a 10-1 lead. Sedia added a sacrifice fly in the sixth to give the Falcons 11 runs.

Sedia took the hill with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth inning and threw 1.2 innings of work for the Falcons to close out the game. It was just his second appearance on the hill for the freshman as he moved to the mound from third base.

Jhonneris Mendez went three innings in his fifth start of the year. The junior gave up six runs on six hits along with two walks as he fell to 3-3 on the year with the loss.

Sedia finished the contest with one hit and three RBI, while Anthony Pellegrino (Branford, Conn.) and Mendez added two hits apiece. Mendez added three RBI for the Falcons as well.

The Falcons will host Emerson on Sunday afternoon in a GNAC double-header beginning at noon at Quigley Stadium.