Adelphi RHP Josh Rovner discusses the Panthers’ double header sweep over Saint Anselm.
Rovner went 5 IP, struck out 6 and allowed just one run.
Panthers won Game 2 by the score of 13-1 pic.twitter.com/OF1jkyTrfr
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) February 27, 2022
The Adelphi Panthers kicked off the official Bill Ianniciello era with a double header sweep against visiting Saint Anselm College on a typically cold February afternoon at William J. Bonomo Field. Here’s how it went down:
Game 1:
The Panthers sent ace Nic Luc to the hill. The fifth-year senior was greeted rudely by Ward Melville grad Brady Doran with a leadoff double. He came around to score on an RBI single by Zack Clough.
That was all Luc would allow, though. He settled in and wound up striking out 9 batters over five innings of work – allowing just four hits and the one run.
The 1-0 lead did not last long, either. The reigning Axcess Player of the Year and potential draft pick, Matt Alifano, picked up right where he left off in 2021. The third baseman crushed a leadoff shot to left center to tie up the game at 1-1.
In the third inning, Alifano struck again with a leadoff double to left center. The next batter, Kyle Olson ripped a single to center to score Alifano and give the Panthers a 2-1 lead.
The score stayed that way until the fifth inning, when Olson drew a one-out walk. Mike Draskin reached on a fielder’s choice to bring up Tim Feliz. The right fielder ripped a double down the right field line which scored Draskin and extended the lead to 3-1. That would become 4-1 when the pitcher made an error to allow Feliz to score an unearned run.
John Rizzo came on in relief of Luc in the top of the sixth making his collegiate debut. Rizzo had earned rave reviews for how he has looked leading up to the season and figures to be a key part of the Panthers’ staff this season even as a freshman. He struck out the first batter he faced on a high 88 MPH heater. He was introduced to how cruel the game can be, though, when the next batter blooped a double down the right field line and two batters later, Nolan Elmore, crushed a two-run shot off the library beyond the left center field fence to make it a 4-3 game. Rizzo proved his mettle by striking out the next batter looking.
After two walks in the bottom of the sixth, Alifano was back at the dish. This time he ripped a double down the left field line to score Anthony Cipri. With a chance to break the game open, Olson popped out to short and Draskin struck out looking to end the threat.
Rizzo went back out for the seventh and worked around a leadoff bunt single with a big 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
In the 9th inning, Rizzo drilled Elmore to leadoff the inning but struck out the next two batters and induced a game ending 6-4 ground out to give the Panthers the 5-3 win. He was credited with the four-inning save. Alifano had four of the six hits by the Panthers.
Game 2 was not nearly as competitive. The Panthers sent Josh Rovner to the hill. He did allow a double and an RBI triple to Mike Borrelli to give Saint Anselm an early 1-0 lead, but the Panthers answered right back in the home half of the first.
Two walks and a single brought up Tim Feliz with the bases loaded, none out. He singled to score Alifano to tie the game 1-1. The Panthers were unable to score any more runs but it did not come back to haunt them.
Rovner settled down and was able to keep Saint Anselm off the board for the next four innings. He struck out six and walked just one.
Adelphi took the lead for good in the second inning when Alifano stepped to the plate with two runners on and promptly deposited a three-run shot to right center to give the Panthers a 4-1 lead.
They later added two runs in the fourth on a double by Mike Draskin, five runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth. Michael Storms worked two hitless innings and the game was called after 7 with Adelphi leading 13-1.
Kyle Olson finished 3-for-3 with two runs scored, one walk and one RBIs. Tim Feliz finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Alifano hit the three-run homer and drew three walks. Mike Draskin, Jose Matos, Anthony Cipri and Jack Wishner all had multi-hit games.
The Panthers are now 2-0 on the season and will have a 3-game set with Molloy this weekend, beginning on Friday at 1pm.
