BASEBALL FALLS TO AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL, 8-7
Cawley Goes a Perfect 5-for-5 at the Plate With Six RBI

SPRINGFIELD, MA - The Pace University baseball team, ranked third in the latest NCAA Division II Baseball Northeast Region Poll, dropped a tough Northeast-10 Conference game to the Yellow Jackets of American International College. Pace falls to 29-18 overall on the season and 17-9 in the NE-10, while American International improves to 10-28 on the year and 8-19 in conference play.

The Setters got on the board first scoring a run in the opening inning as senior Jack Cawley (Bronx, NY/Iona Prep) (Bronx, NY/Iona Prep) singled home junior Andre Liscinsky (Trumbull, CT/Trumbull) (Trumbull, CT/Trumbull). The Yellow Jackets answered tying the game in the their half of the first, as AIC took advantage of a Pace error allowing Dan Fey to score. American International would tack on two more runs in the bottom of the second on a Dan Bassani two-run homerun to take an early 3-1 lead.

The lead would not last long as the Setters tied the game at 3 with a two-run inning of their own in the third. Pace would score the first run of the inning in familiar fashion as Cawley singled home Liscinsky for the second time. Sophomore Vinny Dammann's (Mullica Hill, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) double to right center would bring home Cawley to tie the game. The Setters would later add three more runs in the fourth to take a 6-3 lead, as Cawley would strike again, this time with a three-run double to left center, scoring Chris Brown (West Kingston, RI/South Kingston), Joe Barracato (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke) (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke) and Liscinsky.

Pace's lead would not last long as the Yellow Jackets answered right back with their own three-run fourth inning to tie the game at 6 apiece. Kyle McNiff doubled to centerfield bringing home David Dest, Dan Mooney singled to right center plating McNiff and Bassani scored the tying run a balk by the pitcher. American International would regain lead, 7-6, in the fifth, as Anthony Arrichiello drew a bases loaded walk to bring home Dest.

The game would remain 7-6 in favor of the home team until Pace came back to tie the game at 7 apiece in the eighth on Cawley's sixth RBI on the afternoon. Cawley's RBI single to left brought home Liscinsky for the fourth time in the game. However, the game would not be tied for long as the Yellow Jackets scored the go ahead and would be game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth on Jeff Rustico's RBI single to left center bringing home Fey.

Cawley finished the game batting a perfect 5-for-5 with six RBI and a run scored. Liscinsky helped set the table for Cawley, going 3-for-4 on the day with four runs scored. Aaron Zrenda (Niantic, CT/Loomis Chaffee Prep) (Niantic, CT/Loomis Chaffee Prep) and Brown also had multi-hit games for Pace as the Setters belted out 14 hits on the day.

Sophomore MacKenzie King (Blairstown, NJ/North Warren Regional) (Blairstown, NJ/North Warren Regional) (3-3) took the loss tossing four innings of relief, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits. King was a bit shaky surrendering three walks and also hitting three batters, but was still able to strikeout five batters on the day.

Sean Stevenson (2-0) picked up the win for AIC, tossing the final two innings, allowing one run on three hits, while walking a pair and fanning one.

Pace returns to action on Saturday, May 3^rd, as the Setters will play host to the Bulldogs of Bryant University in a Northeast-10 Conference baseball doubleheader. The Bulldogs come into Pleasantville in first place in the NE-10 and are currently ranked 26^th in the latest Collegiate Baseball Magazine NCAA Division II Top-30 Poll. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.