SETTERS SPLIT DOUBLEHEADER AGAINST SAINT ROSE

 
ALBANY, NY- The Pace University baseball team split a doubleheader against the Golden Knights of Saint Rose College on Saturday afternoon at Bleecker Stadium. The Setters dropped the first game of the day 4-1, but rebounded to take the second game 4-3.

Pace now moves to 9-13-1 on the season, and 4-4 in the NE-10 Conference. The Golden Knights record now stands at 7-13 for the year, and 3-4 in conference play.

The Setters bats were cold in the first game as Pace could only manage five hits in a 4-1 loss.

Saint Rose scored first in the bottom of the fourth to take a 2-0 lead. That lead stood until the top of the seventh inning when Pace finally got on the board. Denis Alimonti (Jefferson Valley, NY/Lakeland) led off the inning with a single down the left field line. Almonti then got himself into scoring position by stealing second base. Almonti went on to score the Setters first run when the Saint Rose pitcher made a throwing error on a Steven Sterlacci (Bohemia, NY/Connetquot) (Bohemia, NY/ Connetquot) sacrifice bunt.

With the score being 2-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning Pace's starting pitcher Giuseppe Granitto (Bronx, NY/Concordia College) (Bronx, NY/Concordia College) (0-3) couldn't keep it a one run game. Saint Rose went on to score another run in the inning to extend their lead to 3-1 after seven innings. Granitto was finished after this point of the game going seven innings, while giving up three runs.

The Pace bats heated up in game two as the Setters scored four runs in route to a 4-3 win.

Pace struck first in the top of the second on a JJ Conrad (Hamburg, NJ/Wallkill Valley) RBI single to give the Setters the lead 1-0.

Pace went on to add two more runs in the top of the seventh to extend their lead to 3-0. Joe Cotone (Yorktown Hts., NY/Lakeland) (Yorktown Heights, NY/Lakeland) led off the inning with a single up the middle. With runners on second and third with one out Sterlacci hit a RBI groundout to the catcher to make the score 2-0. The Setters scored another run in the inning off a throwing error by the Saint Rose catcher to go up by three.

Starting pitcher Mike Sciarretta (Stamford, CT/Stamford) (1-0) pitched a brilliant game going eight strong innings giving up three runs (one earned). Sciarretta only gave up three hits, while striking out six on the day.

With Pace leading 4-2 heading into the ninth inning the Setters brought in Frank Luongo (West Harrison, NY/Harrison) (West Harrison, NY/Harrison) to close the door. Luongo struck out the only batter he faced to record the save, and give Pace an important conference win.

Pace will be back in action on Tuesday, March 31 as they will take on Southern Connecticut State University on the road. The game is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m.