AIC DEFEATS MERRIMACK
IN SECOND ANNUAL 
BRENDAN GRANT MEMORIAL GAME

Tribute Game Held at Brendan Grant Memorial Field 
in Belmont, MA on Thursday 1 May 2003

BELMONT, MA --  College level baseball returned again to Belmont, MA on Thursday 1 May 2003, with American International College (AIC) taking on WebPicture_0163.jpg (85549 bytes) Merrimack College at the newly renovated Brendan Grant Memorial Field.  Both schools are in the competitive Northeast-10 League, and together they brought strong college-level talent as well as wooden bats to the new baseball complex. 

The overall event was a tribute to Brendan Grant, who this year would have been a junior with the AIC baseball program this year.  The entire afternoon was a WebPicture_0216.jpg (63895 bytes) great success, with an appreciable crowd that enjoyed great baseball under questionable skies that suggested showers but never delivered all afternoon.

Before the start of the primary game, an earlier game was completed that was postponed earlier in the season due to darkness.  This first game was won by Merrimack 7-2, but they wouldn't be able to repeat it later in the afternoon.  
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The first game commenced at 2:30 pm as the continuation of a Northeast-l0 Conference game held on March 29, which had been suspended after seven complete innings at a 2-2 tie.  In the top of the eighth, Sean Lawton singled home Colin Bergeron to give the Warriors a 3-2 lead.  Bergeron increased the lead in the ninth with his first career homer, a three-run shot over the left field fence as the Warriors went on to win the contest 7-2. Merrimack improved to 8-15 in league play, while AIC fell to 3-19.
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The second game of the afternoon... the "2nd Annual Brendan Grant Memorial Game"... began shortly after 3:30 pm following a brief ceremony and a touching rendition of the National Anthem sung by Belmont High School Senior Tamer Azar.  In this game, AIC defeated Merrimack College 7-6 in exciting come-from-behind fashion.

AIC struck first for three runs in the third inning to snap a 1-1 tie scoring runs on an RBI double by Dave Guzman, a groundout by Adam Zebian along with a Warrior wild pitch. In the fifth, junior Jeff Bourque laced a double to left field scoring the fifth Yellow Jacket run.
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With two outs in the seventh inning, AIC was coasting with a comfortable 5-2 lead.  However, Merrimack scored three times with the help of a Yellow Jacket error and a catcher's interference off of Mike Cabrera, who relieved AIC starter Paul Thompson. After the Warriors loaded the bases, Colin Bergeron drew a walk which plated the go-ahead run.  AIC rebounded in their final at bat as Scott Houghton (reached on an error) and Dave Guzman singled to open the inning.  Jeff Bourque followed reaching on a fielder's choice plating Houghton with the tying run.
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Following an Eric Boissy single through the left side which pushed Bourque into scoring position, Marc DeGregorio relieved Brian Kennedy who was welcomed by Adam Zebian delivering the game-winning double.  Adam's shot was a walk-away rip into the left-center field gap.
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Thompson took a no-decision despite fanning a season-high 10 batters, including at least two in five of the six innings in which he worked.  Merrimack starter Jason Kosmas lasted only 2.2 innings being touched for four runs on three hits but walked five batters before giving way to Brian Kennedy who took the loss falling to 0-1 on the season.  

With the win, AIC improves to 5-29, while Merrimack goes to 9-26.
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