The Bears brought the bats out in their series finale against Coppin State. They got out to an early 8-0 in the fourth inning, highlighted by a bases-clearing double by James Bulva to score Thomas Joannou, Joe Daru and Matthew DeAngelis.
Junior transfer Dixon Marble was more than equal to the task–he went 6.0 IP, allowing 2 ER on three hits while striking out four in his debut with the Bears.
The offense was led by Joe Daru (4-for-5, 4 R) who continued his torrid start to the season. He went 11-for-14 in the series and scored an incredible seven runs.
As Head Coach Bob Malvagna stated before the season, the offense will be predicated on his ability to get on base and score runs.
He stole 30 bases last year with a low OBP, and so far he has certainly lived up to the lofty expectations.
In addition to his big day, Bulva drove in five runs at the plate and Joannou had two hits, scored four runs and drove in three runs.
Another good sign for the Bears was freshman Brandon Alberto striking out the side in his one inning of work. He is an arm that can really bolster the bullpen.
NYIT starts the season with a nice 2-1 record. They will be back in action March 2 at Stony Brook in a game that could go a long way in helping to change the perception of the program.
