PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Closing out the regular season in style, the Pace University baseball team posted a Senior Day sweep of AIC at Finnerty Field on Saturday afternoon. The two victories puts the Setters' record at 31-14 this season—their highest win total since 2013.
Pace also finished 17-9 inside the Northeast-10 Conference, earning the No. 2 seed out of the Southwest Division in the upcoming NE10 Tournament. The Blue and Gold will host Le Moyne in the first round on Tuesday with a game time to be determined.
Game One Recap – Pace 16, AIC 6
After the Yellow Jackets put two across in their opening at-bats, the Setters' six-run first inning set the tone for the afternoon. Pace capitalized on three walks and three AIC errors.
The Blue and Gold went on to post another six-run frame in the sixth which opened up a 15-3 lead for the home squad.
The Setters recorded 13 hits, and initiated 10 walks in the opener, while seven different players registered an RBI.
Michael Barbato (Sparkill, NY/Tappan Zee) and
Dean DePreta (Stamford, CT/Westhill High School) each drove in four runs, to go along with four runs scored.
DePreta also launched his second home run of the season—a two-run shot in the fifth.
Brian Bohlander (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland) joined in with a long ball of his own—his team-leading sixth of the year.
Michael Salmonese (Waldwick, NJ/Waldwick),
Harrison Treble (Oyster Bay, NY/Oyster Bay/St. Bonaventure) and
Luke Jacobi (Edison, NJ/JP Stevens) all joined DePreta and Bohlander with multiple hits in Game One.
Senior
Alex Busby (Landing, NJ/Roxbury / County College of Morris) earned the win on the mound, striking out four across six solid innings of work.
Game Two Recap – Pace 5, AIC 2
The Setters kept the momentum going in the regular-season finale, taking a 3-0 lead in the third inning. DePreta was once again in on the action, doubling home a pair of runs before scoring on a wild pitch.
Pace added onto their lead the following inning courtesy of a solo home run from Salmonese.
Salmonese finished the day 3-for-7 at the dish, with four runs scored and two walks. He continues to lead the entire NE10 in batting this season, posting an average of .376.
Joseph Curcio (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills High School) provided Pace's final tally of the day with a triple to right-center in the seventh to put the home squad up 5-2.
The Blue and Gold's five pitchers in the second game combined to allow just five hits and one earned run. Sophomore
Greg Najar (Howell, NJ/Freehold Township) earned the win, while
Lorenzo Russo (East Northport, NY/Commack) picked up his fifth save of the season.
