PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – The Pace University baseball team strung together a two-out rally in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game at 1-1, but Adelphi University knocked in four runs in the top of the ninth, giving the Panthers the 5-1 win at Peter X. Finnerty Field in Wednesday afternoon's Northeast-10 Conference matchup. The Setters fall to 18-14 overall and 5-7 in NE-10 play, while Adelphi improves to 16-15 and 6-6.
Trailing 1-0 heading into the bottom of the eighth, the Setters already had two down in the inning when graduate shortstop
Brett Bittiger (Saylorsburg, PA/Pius X) stroked a triple to deep right-center to set Pace up with a chance to tie the game. Junior center fielder
John Kukura (New City, NY/Clarkstown South) then hit a slow chopper down the third base line, and legged out the infield single to tie the game.
In the top of the ninth, Adelphi's Eric Hassell, who had hit a solo home run back in the fourth inning, hit an RBI double into left-center, scoring second baseman Steven Withers to give Adelphi the lead once again. Right fielder Alex Zykoff then took advantage of bases loaded, roping a bases clearing double to deep center to make it a 5-1 game.
Adelphi reliever Jonathon Mulford picked up the win after coming on in the eighth, improving his record to 3-3. Senior starter
Dylan Mouzakes (Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollow Hills) took his first loss of the year to drop to 6-1. He struck out six batters over 8.2 innings.
Kukura went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a double on Wednesday. Bittiger hit 1-for-3 with a triple and a run scored. Junior designated hitter
James Wynne (North Salem, NY/North Salem) batted 1-for-3, while senior second baseman
Andrew Coffey (Greenwich, CT/Old Avon Farms) hit 1-for-4.
Zykoff went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a double for Adelphi. Hassel hit 3-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs, a home run and a double.
The Setters will look to get back on track when they travel up to Syracuse, N.Y. this weekend for a three-game series against Southwest Division rival Le Moyne College. The series will begin on Saturday, April 16, with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
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