PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – A day after winning the series opener, the Pace Baseball team split a doubleheader with Southern Connecticut State University on Saturday afternoon at Finnerty Field. The 1-1 day moves the Setters' record to 10-7-1 overall, and 5-3 inside the Northeast-10 Conference.

Inside the Numbers
*Ryan Crowley (Cornwall on Hudson, NY/Iona Prep/Monmouth) and Michael Gulino (Meriden, CT/Maloney) enjoyed the most success at the dish for Pace. Crowley put together a 4-for-6 afternoon with a walk, while Gulino finished 3-for-8 with a pair of RBIs. Gulino continues to be clutch for the Setters, leading the squad with 23 RBIs this season.

*Ryan Aquino (Mamaroneck, NY/Rye Neck) tossed eight scoreless innings in the first game of the day, leading Pace to a 3-1 triumph. The senior scattered just five hits, while also striking out five. Classmate Jake Amoroso (Stratford, CT/St. Joseph) closed the door in the ninth to record his fourth save of the season.

*In addition to Gulino and Crowley, Matt Almonte (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle) and Brian Bohlander (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland) also tallied multiple hits in the opener. The Setters piled up 11 knocks in the game.

*Paul Piccolino (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) registered an RBI in each contest while Michael Barbato (Sparkill, NY/Tappan Zee) totaled four walks in the two games.

Game One Recap – Pace 3, SCSU 1
Fueled by Aquino's best start of the season, the Setters began the day on a high note. Pace scored their runs in three different innings—the third, sixth and eighth. Although the Blue and Gold put three on the board, it could have been much more. The Setters left 16 runners on base.

Almonte knocked in Pace's first run of the day in the third, hammering an RBI single up the middle. PIccolino followed with an RBI single up the middle of his own in the sixth.
Pace's final run of the day came off a SCSU error in the eighth. Piccolino raced home after Almonte's grounder to short was thrown away.

The Owls put their lone run on the board in the ninth. Ethan Joyce hit a one-out RBI single to cut the lead to 3-1 before Amoroso forced John Spoto—the game's tying run—into a game-ending double play.

Game Two Recap – SCSU 5, Pace 2
Southern Connecticut hopped out to the early lead in the series finale courtesy of a run in the top of the first inning. The Owls capitalized on a lead-off double from Anthony Zambito, who ended up scoring on a double-steal in which Pace tossed out Nick Lamberti at second.

The Setters immediately answered in the bottom half of the frame. Gulino smacked an RBI double down the right-field line to score Michael Salmonese (Waldwick, NJ/Waldwick), who led off the frame with a single.

Following two scoreless innings on each side, the Owls took their second lead of the day in the fourth. A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out, before a Setters' throwing error provided SCSU a 2-1 edge. Facing the bases still jammed, Setters' starter Alex Busby (Landing, NJ/Roxbury / County College of Morris) escaped further damage with back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.

Southern Connecticut broke the game open in the fifth, posting three more runs. Joyce knocked in two with a double down the left-field line, while a wild pitch provided SCSU with a 5-1 lead.

The Blue and Gold would only get one back over the final four innings. Piccolino's RBI single to left in the eight marked Pace's final run of the day as SCSU salvaged a Saturday split.

Up Next
The Setters will now start a 12-game stretch on the road, beginning with a Tuesday afternoon battle at the University of New Haven (3:30 p.m.).