Springfield, Mass. – Right fielder Kyle McNiff homered, doubled and drove in three runs to lead American International to a 5-3 win over the 11th-ranked Le Moyne College baseball team on Wednesday afternoon in Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division play at AIC Park.
The Yellow Jackets got on the scoreboard first as McNiff led off the second inning with a home run to right field.
Le Moyne evened the score at one in the top of the third on a hit and an AIC error. Senior catcher Kyle Kalaka (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) led off the inning with a single to left center. After moving to second on a sacrifice bunt, Kalaka scored as senior center fielder Brett Botsford (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) reached on a fielding error by the second baseman.
American International regained the lead in the bottom of the inning with three runs on two hits. Pitcher Cam MacDonald and third baseman Dave Clark were hit by pitches to start the frame. Following a Le Moyne pitching change and a sacrifice bunt, McNiff doubled to center field to drive in MacDonald and Clark. After a walk and a fly out, left fielder Nick Devine singled to right field to drive in McNiff.
The Dolphins plated a run on two hits in the fourth inning to cut their deficit to two. Junior shortstop Ryan Mahoney (Clay, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) started the inning with a double down the left field line and moved to third on a ground out. Redshirt junior designated hitter Matthew Ciraco (White Plains, N.Y./Perkiomen School) then singled to left field to drive in Mahoney.
Le Moyne pulled within 4-3 in the fifth inning with a run on one hit and an AIC error. Botsford singled to lead off the inning and moved to second with one out as senior third baseman Matt Marra (Brewerton, N.Y./Central Square) reached on an error by the shortstop. After Botsford stole third, he scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Mahoney.
The Yellow Jackets completed the game's scoring with a run on one hit in the seventh inning. Shortstop Chris Amate was hit by a pitch to open the frame and then stole second and third base with one out. First baseman Julian Concepcion followed with a single to left to knock in Amate.
Senior southpaw Mike Anarumo (Levittown, N.Y./MacArthur) suffered the loss after giving up three runs on two hits in two-plus innings on the mound. MacDonald picked up his first win of the season after scattering nine hits in a complete-game performance, while yielding three runs (one earned) and striking out two batters.
Le Moyne (29-10-1, 14-6-1 NE-10, 9-4 SW) returns to action on Thursday at Southern Connecticut State at 11:15 a.m. The game is a make-up of Sunday's rain out.
