Skyhawks drop game one, 10-2, prevail in game two, 9-7

Senior Michael Magnussen helped the Skyhawks to a doubleheader split with two hits, two runs scored and two RBI's in game two.

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. (March 24, 2012) – Stonehill College, ranked sixth overall in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) East Regional Poll, split a Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10) inter-divisional contest doubleheader with Pace University on Saturday evening at Finnerty Field. The Skyhawks fell to the Setters in game one, 10-2, but bounced back in game two with a 9-7 victory.

Pace 10, Stonehill 2

Junior reliever Eddie Byrne (Yonkers, NY/Archbishop Stepinac) earned the win on two innings pitched, three hits, no runs and five strikeouts. Pace starter Neil Pezzullo (Harwich, MA/Harwich) was handed the no-decision over six-and-two-thirds innings of work, four hits, one run (unearned), four walks and eight punchouts.

For Stonehill, senior left-hander Matt Olsen (Winchester, Mass./Winchester) took the loss on one-and-two-thirds innings pitched, zero hits, three runs (all earned), one walk and one strikeout. Bryan Galligan (Brockton, Mass./Brockton) landed the no-decision on five-and-one-thirds innings, ten hits, two earned (both earned), a pair of walks and strikeouts.

After both teams went scoreless through the first four full innings of play, Pace struck first as junior third baseman Brandon Martineson (Warwick, NY/Warwick) smacked a ground-rule double down the left field plating sophomore outfielder James Pjura (Shelton, CT/Shelton) and senior second baseman Kyle Turnier (Waterford, CT/Waterford) for a 2-0 advantage.

Stonehill responded with one run in the sixth inning on a Billy Karalis (Pawtucket, R.I./Bishop Feehan) RBI double and another in the eighth on a fielding error to tie the game at 2-2.

The Setters broke the game open in the bottom half of the frame with eight runs. Senior centefielder Patrick Chaputian (Sea Cliff, NY/North Shore) notched a two-run single, Martineson tallied a two-run double to centerfield and junior catcher Joe Solomeno (Holbrook, NY/Sachem East) plated two runs with a double to highlight the scoring.

Senior designated hitter Steven Popp (Unionville, Conn./Farmington) went 3-for-5 while senior first baseman Michael White (Lisbon, N.H./Lisbon Regional) was 2-for-5 with one run scored.

Stonehill 9, Pace 7

Freshman Jim Duff (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) notched his first-career collegiate victory in relief completing three-and-two-thirds innings, yielding four hits, one run (unearned) and two strikeouts. Sophomore starter Zach Soulier (Milford, Conn./Jonathan Law) pitched four-and-two-thirds innings, allowing seven hits, six runs (five earned), three walks and one punchout for the no-decision. Senior Michael Von Stein (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) recorded the final two outs of the contest to earn his second save of the season.

Senior right-hander Jonathan Hornung (Calverton, NY/Riverhead) dropped to 0-2 overall on the season on six innings pitched, nine hits, six runs (four earned), four walks and two strikeouts. Freshman Tom McIntosh (Stamford, CT/Stamford) tossed three shutout innings in relief giving up just two hits while striking out three.

Trailing 6-4 in the top of the seventh inning, the Skyhawks put together a five-run frame to take its second lead in the contest. Sophomore second baseman Dan Fratus (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) plated Popp with a double, senior left fielder Michael Magnussen (Carver, Mass./Coyle & Cassidy) drove in a run with a RBI single, junior centerfielder James DeAlto (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y./Briarcliff) notched a two-run double and junior Michael Zeiner (Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly to left field.

Pace cut into the gap in the bottom of the seventh inning as senior centerfielder Tyler Collins (Stamford, CT/Trinity Catholic) brought home Solomeno with a triple to right field.

Von Stein thwarted the Setters comeback attempt in the bottom of the ninth erasing a one-out first and second situation with two groundouts.

Zeiner went 3-for-4 with one run scored and two RBI's while Magnussen was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two runs driven in. Fratus, Karalis and White also collected multi-hit games.

Stonehill (13-7, 1-1 NE-10, 0-0 Northeast Division) returns to action tomorrow against Adelphi University, on the road, in doubleheader action at noon. Pace (9-8, 1-1 NE-10, 0-0 Southwest Division) plays Bentley University tomorrow, at home, in a doubleheader matchup with game one scheduled for noon.