Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

SPRINGFIELD, Mass – The Southern Connecticut State University baseball team split a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader at American International College on Saturday afternoon at Bedard Field. Southern Connecticut took game one from the Yellow Jackets by the score of 8-4, but the hosts secured game two, 3-1, after scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Southern Connecticut is now 13-23-1 and 5-8 on the season while American International moves to 11-31 and 5-9.
 
GAME 1: So. Conn. St. 8 | AIC 4
 
Freshman Brandon Rentas (Wallingford, Conn.) picked up the "W" in game one after allowing four runs on eight hits while striking out five and walking a batter over 6.2 innings on the mound. Sophomore Jake Santamaria (Oceanside, N.Y.) earned his third save of the year as the lefty recorded three strikeouts.
 
Junior Ethan Joyce (Exeter, N.H.) led the Owls at the plate as the shortstop went 3-for-5 while recording a run and a RBI. Senior Jake Paul (Kingston, N.Y.) and freshman Mike DeMartino (New Haven, Conn.) registered a team-high two RBI apiece.
 
Southern Connecticut struck first in the top of the second, scoring one run on two hits to take the early lead. With two outs and runners on first and second, senior Jake DeRosa (North Haven, Conn.) singled through the left side, advancing Zullo home and moving junior Kyle Hart (North Branford, Conn.) to third, before Nick Lamberti (East Haven, Conn.) grounded out to second collecting the third out of the frame.
 
In the top of the third, the Owls struck again as DeMartino allowed Joyce to come home, despite grounding out to the second basemen. But, in the bottom of the third, AIC cut the lead in half, 2-1, after scoring off a throwing error by the Owls.
 
Hart extended Southern Connecticut's lead to two, 3-1, after he began the inning with a single up the middle before advancing home after Lamberti reached first on a throwing error by the shortstop.
 
American International was unable to stop the Owls in the top of the sixth from scoring three more runs to take a commanding 6-1 lead. With two outs, Paul hit a deep triple to right field, allowing two runners to score, before Paul crossed home off an RBI single from DeMartino.
 
Shortly after, AIC managed to cut the Owls' lead in half, 6-3, after scoring two runs in the bottom of the sixth, but Southern Connecticut answered right back scoring two runs in the top of the seventh, putting the visitors up 8-3.
 
American International was only able to score a run in the bottom of the seventh as the Owls took game one, 8-4.
 
GAME 2:  AIC 3 | So. Conn. St. 1
Sophomore Griffin Bremer (Higganum, Conn.) earned the tough loss in game two and moves to 0-6 on the season. Bremer pitched a complete game and allowed eight hits, three runs, a walk and seven strikeouts.
 
Lamberti and Zullo led Southern Connecticut with two hits each while junior McNeill Finnegan (Old Saybrook, Conn.) earned the Owls' only RBI of the game.
 
It was a scoreless game until the top of the fifth as the Owls scored first, taking a late 1-0 lead over the hosts. Zullo began the inning with a single through the left side before he advanced to second thanks to a sac bunt from Hart. With one out, Finnegan drove in Zullo off a double to left field, but the rally ended following two quick outs by the visitors.
 
However, American International answered right back scoring three runs on four hits to take its first lead of the day, 3-1. 
 
Southern Connecticut's final threat of the game came in the top of the eighth as Lamberti found himself in scoring position after singling up the middle and advancing to second and third on a wild pitch and passed ball. However, the Yello Jackets ended the threat with a strikeout and a groundout to second to secure the win.
 
UP NEXT
Southern Connecticut wraps up the three-game series with American International tomorrow, May 1. Game time has been moved to 10 a.m.