WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. (April 30) – The Tiger baseball team wrapped up the regular season with six non-conference games this past week against Alderson Broaddus, Davis & Elkins and West Liberty in preparation for the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament (G-MAC) Tournament next week.
 
Salem International University posted a 1-5 mark with a win over Davis & Elkins in the first game of the doubleheader to move to 9-38 overall this season.
 
The Tigers began the week by dropping a doubleheader against Alderson Broaddus by scores of 10-1 and 8-1 on Senior Day at Frank Loria Memorial Field.
 
Five Battlers pitchers combined to one-hit Salem International in the 10-1 loss in seven innings. Freshman pitcher Kevin Ortiz-Arroyo (Orlando, Fla./Cypress Creek) fell to 0-10 after allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits.
 
Junior second baseman Jeff Apigo (Federal Way, Wash./Todd Beamer) broke-up the no-hitter with a sixth inning single and junior left fielder Aaron Alderman (Lakeland, Fla./Lake Gibson) pushed across the team's run later in the inning after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
 
Despite only having one hit, Salem International drew several walks, had three batters hit by a pitch and were retired by strikeout six times.
 
The Battlers continued to swing the bat well in their 8-1 game two victory to close play on Tuesday afternoon.
 
Alderson Broaddus scored the game's first eight runs before a RBI single by sophomore Trent Dalton (Logan,W.Va./Logan) in the bottom of the fifth put the Tigers on the board. Dalton led the team at the plate in the game with a pair of hits to go with his RBI in the fifth inning.
 
Alderman fell to 0-1 on the mound after allowing five runs on six hits in 2.2 innings of work.
 
Junior Nicco Lollio (Carleton, Mich./Airport) smacked a first inning three-run home run to propel Salem International to a 3-1 win over Davis & Elkins on Wednesday. The Senators claimed a 7-4 win in the nightcap to split the doubleheader.
 
After a one-out single by junior Anthony Bariso (Tarpon Springs, Fla./Tarpon Springs) and a walk by senior Manny Dominguez (Bronx, N.Y./Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics), the table was set for Lollio. The Michigan native drove the first pitch over the right-center field fence to give the Tigers the lead.
 
The early run-support was more than enough for junior starter Cam Hall (Fort Erie, Ontario/Lakeshore Catholic). The 5-foot-5 pitcher improved to 3-4 this season after limiting the Senators to one run on five hits with five strikeouts in a complete-game effort (105 pitches).
 
In addition to Lollio's home run, Bariso chipped in a pair of hits with a run scored in the win.
 
The Tigers trailed 7-0 heading into the seventh inning of game two, but a final inning rally fell short in a 7-4 loss to conclude play on Wednesday.
 
Salem International loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh on a single and two walks, but a double-play that scored a run hampered the Tiger rally. Dalton scored on a wild pitch to make the score 7-2 and clear the bases, but the Salem rally was not over. After Dominguez was hit by a pitch, abase-hit by Lollio put runners at second and third.
 
Apigo delivered a RBI single that plated both runners and trimmed the deficit to three runs, however the final batter grounded out to end the game.
 
Freshman Dolan Kunkel (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan/Centennial Collegiate) fell to 3-9 this season in the loss. He allowed five runs (four earned) on nine hits with a pair of strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work. Davis & Elkins pitcher Tyler Mason held the Tigers to two runs over six-plus innings on the mound with four strikeouts to earn the win.
 
Several Tigers had hits in the game two loss, led by junior center fielder Joe Drago (Albany, Ind./Delta), who finished with a pair of singles and a stolen base.
 
Salem International wrapped up the week with a doubleheader sweep at the hands of West Liberty. The Hilltoppers defeated the Tigers 8-1 in the opener and earned a sweep with a 5-4 walk-off win.
 
Junior Charles Atherton (Newark, Ohio/Mount Vernon) fell to 1-4 on the season in the game one loss. He tossed 3.2 innings and allowed six runs (three earned) on eight hits with two strikeouts.
 
Bariso and Dominguez led the Tigers at the plate with two hits apiece, while Dominguez added the lone RBI to his final line.
 
Salem International held a late lead in game two, but a sixth inning rally and a walk-off hit in the eighth gave West Liberty the sweep.
 
The Tigers entered the fifth inning trailing 3-0 when they struck for five runs to take their first lead of the day. After the first two batters reached, Dalton singled in one run and junior Cody Whitmer (Elmira, N.Y./Elmira Free Academy) delivered a sacrifice fly to pull Salem International within one at 3-2.
 
The next four batters all connected on two-out hits to plate three more runs, including a RBI double by Dominguez and a two-RBI single by Lollio to give the Tigers a 5-3 lead.
 
The Hilltoppers scored twice in the sixth inning to tie the game and held Salem International to two hits over the final three innings. West Liberty scored the game winning run on a bunt single with nobody out to earn the walk-off victory in the eighth inning.
 
Bariso fell to 1-4 on the season on the mound after entering in relief of junior starter James Adydan (Pulaski, N.Y./Pulaski) and allowing the winning run in the eighth inning.
 
Several different Tigers finished with hits in the game two loss to West Liberty, led by Dominguez who had a pair of base knocks.

The Salem International baseball team honored its senior members of the team between games against Alderson Broaddus on Tuesday in the team's final home series. Student-assistant coach Jack Humphrey and seniors Richard Crocker and Austin Crocker (pictured above with Head Coach Shawn Pynn and Assistant Coach Nick Calhoun) were honored for their contributions to the program in a brief ceremony.
 
The Tigers will now look ahead to the G-MAC Tournament next week when they head to Mason, Ohio as the No. 6 seed in the field. Salem International will play top-seed Trevecca Nazarene in the opening round on Wednesday, May 6 at Prasco Park. Stay tuned to SIUTigerPride.com for further G-MAC Tournament details.