PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Taking on a Northeast-10 Conference Divisional foe for the first time this season, the Pace University baseball team came away with a 6-5 win over Adelphi University on Wednesday afternoon at Finnerty Field. The triumph moves the Setters to 3-2 inside the NE10 this season (8-6-1 overall).  

Historic Hank
*Wednesday's victory also marked the 397^th in the career of head coach Hank Manning, which puts him in a tie with the great Fred Calaicone for the most in program history. Manning played for Coach Calaicone from 1987-90, and has put together a stellar 17-plus year career leading his alma mater. During Manning's tenure in the Pace dugout, the Setters have averaged nearly 23 wins per season.

Inside the Numbers
*Senior Kyle Cashman (Hicksville, NY/Hicksville) earned the win on the mound, putting together an extremely solid outing in his third start of the season. The right-hander tossed 7.2 innings without allowing an earned run.

*Entering the game with a one-run lead with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth inning, sophomore Lorenzo Russo (East Northport, NY/Commack) tallied the final two clutch outs to pick up his first-career save.

*The Setters steadily gained a 6-1 edge on Adelphi, which ultimately proved to be just enough to clinch the win. Pace scored a pair in the first, another in the fifth, and three more in the seventh.

*Ryan Crowley (Cornwall on Hudson, NY/Iona Prep/Monmouth), Michael Gulino (Meriden, CT/Maloney) and Matt Almonte (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle) each finished with two hits at the dish. Gulino also knocked in a pair, improving his team-leading RBI total to 19 this season.

*Alex Pia (Guilford, CT/Xavier) hammered a pinch hit double off the very top of the wall in the seventh, providing Pace with a 6-1 lead.

*The Blue and Gold showed off some patience at the plate, forcing a season-high six walks. Senior catcher Michael Barbato (Sparkill, NY/Tappan Zee) received a pair of free passes.

How it Happened
After a couple of errors in the first inning put Pace in a hole, the Setters answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning. Gulino and Almonte each registered RBI knocks.

Gulino tallied his second RBI of the day in the fifth, singling home Crowley to put Pace up 3-1.

The Setters temporarily broke the game open in the seventh, putting three more on the board. Brian Bohlander (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland) recorded a bases-loaded walk while Pia was inches away from launching a grand slam. Pia's double off the top of the left-field wall scored Almonte and Barbato, and put the Setters ahead 6-1.

Adelphi made things extremely interesting in the final two frames, tallying three runs in the eighth and another one in the ninth. After cutting the lead to 6-5, the Panthers loaded the bases with just one out in the ninth.

With the tying run just 90 feet away, Russo was able to enter the jam and close the door for Pace. First, he forced a slower grounder to third, which was forced at home before getting a comeback to himself for the game's final out.

Up Next
The Setters will host Southern Connecticut State University this weekend for a three-game series. Pace will take on the Owls for a single game on Friday (2 p.m.) ahead of a Saturday doubleheader (noon).