Sophomore Michael Zeiner was a combined 5-for-7 with a double, home run and six RBI in today's doubleheader sweep.

Six run first fuels Stonehill's 9-3 win in game one
Skyhawks answer AIC rally to clinch 6-5 win in nightcap

Prior to the game, the teams observed a moment of silence for James "Lou" Gorman, Stonehill Class of 1953, for whom the Skyhawks home field is named, who passed away on Friday.

Sophomore Michael Zeiner (Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) paced the Stonehill offense as he hit a combined 5-for-7 with two runs scored, a double, home run and six RBI. Junior Rich McHugh (Pembroke, Mass./Thayer Academy) batted 2-for-4 with five walks, three runs scored, a homer and four RBI.

Sophomore Chris Amate (Hanover, Mass./Hanover) led AIC as he went a combined 3-for-6 with four walks, a stolen base and a run scored. Freshman Cam MacDonald (Weymouth, Mass./Weymouth) hit 3-for-7 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Stonehill scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning to fuel a 9-3 win in game one, getting a strong start from senior righthander Bryan Galligan (Brockton, Mass./Brockton) and four RBI each from Rich McHugh and Michael Zeiner.

Galligan earned the win on the mound (3-1) with six shutout innings for Stonehill, allowing just two hits with a career-best 11 strikeouts and four walks.

Zeiner finished 4-for-4 with a double, home run, four RBI and two runs scored, while McHugh batted 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI. Senior Scott Hackett (Bangor, Maine/Bangor) and junior Michael White (Lisbon, N.H./Lisbon Regional) both chipped in with a double and run scored.

Senior Anthony Arrichiello (Yonkers, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) led AIC as he hit 2-for-3, while freshman Dan Fenton (Agawam, Mass./Cathedral) batted 1-for-2 with an RBI. Chris Amate chipped in by going 2-for-4.

Senior Bryan Galligan tossed six shutout innings, scattering two hits and striking out a career-best 11 in game one.

Stonehill took control of the game early with its six run first. Hackett doubled and White and senior Angelo Bruno (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) walked before McHugh belted his first career grand slam to put the Skyhawks up 4-0. Junior Kyle Shepard (Boxford, Mass./Masconomet) drew a two out walk and then Zeiner delivered his first home run of the season.

Stonehill added a run in the fourth as Zeiner led off with a single and later scored on a sacrifice fly by senior Nick Nardacci (Glenmont, N.Y./Bethlehem Central). The Skyhawks scored two more in the fifth to open a 9-0 lead with a two-run single from Zeiner.

AIC attempted to rally in the ninth, getting an RBI double from Fenton, with a run scoring when senior Sean McClelland (Chicopee, Mass./Chicopee Comp) reached on a fielder's choice. Cam MacDonald also scored on a passed ball in the inning.

Stonehill answered a four run sixth inning by American International with two runs in the home half to hold off the Yellow Jackets for a 6-5 win in game two.

Michael White paced Stonehill's six hit effort by going 2-for-5 with an RBI and run scored, extending his team-best hitting streak to 15 games. Michael Zeiner went 1-for-3 with two RBI, while Kyle Shepard batted 1-for-2 with an RBI.

Junior lefthander Michael Von Stein (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) collected the win (3-0) for Stonehill with 1.2 innings of no-hit shutout relief, working around a walk with three strikeouts. Senior Brenden Shepard (Boxford, Mass./Masconomet) earned his sixth save of the season with two hitless, shutout innings, striking out five and walking two. Senior righthander Alex McCormick (Weymouth, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) started for the Skyhawks and allowed five earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and three walks in 5.1 innings.

Junior Rich McHugh belted a grand slam in game one and walked five times over the course of the two games. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr)

Cam MacDonald led AIC as he hit 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored. Sean McClelland went 1-for-5 with a stolen base and RBI, while Chris Amate batted 1-for-2 with three walks, a stolen base and run scored. Senior Dillon Fontaine (Amenia, N.Y./Hotchkiss School) finished 1-for-3 with an RBI and run scored.

Junior righthander Tim Bailey (Chicopee, Mass./Chicopee) took the loss (1-1) in relief for AIC, surrendering two earned runs on three hits with a strikeout and two walks over 1.1 innings. Senior righthander John Shivo (Ayer, Mass./Ayer) started for the Yellow Jackets and yielded four runs, two earned, on two hits with four strikeouts and seven walks in 4.2 innings.

Stonehill struck first again with two in the second on a two out two run single by Zeiner. AIC got a run back in the top of the third as MacDonald singled and scored on a base hit by McClelland. The Skyhawks scored twice again in bottom of the third with an RBI single from Kyle Shepard before McHugh walked and later scored on a passed ball.

AIC took its first lead of the day (5-4) with a four run sixth. Senior Kyle McNiff (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy) and Fontaine sparked the rally with back-to-back RBI singles. MacDonald extended the inning with an RBI single, before senior Paul Maza (Valencia, Venezuela) put the Yellow Jackets in front with a sacrifice fly.

Stonehill answered right away, regaining the lead with a pair in the home half of the sixth. White delivered an RBI single to tie the score, before Angelo Bruno put the Skyhawks in front for good with a sac fly to right. Von Stein and Shepard did the rest, combining to keep the Yellow Jackets scoreless over the last three innings.