By Nakeem Grant
It was Senior Day in Westbury for the NYIT Bears and there was plenty of action and late-game heroics in their doubleheader against NJIT. Both games were decided in the last few innings as the Bears won Game 1, 2-0 and Game 2, 7-6. Today’s games featured an incredible, low-scoring pitching duel and a back-and-forth run-scoring affair.
Game 1’s pitching duel kept both offenses silent as senior, Dixon Marble (NYIT) and Sean Lubreski (NJIT) tried to outdo each other in every inning they pitched. Marble had everything working on Senior Day. He threw seven shutout innings with four strikeouts and no walks. Marble has had this kind of performance on a number of occasions this season.
Photo Credit: Nakeem Grant
“Dixon is a guy that’s going to pound the strike zone,” said NYIT head coach, Bob Malvagna. “He’s got two or three quality pitches that he’ll throw at any time. Before you know it, you’re 0-for- 3 with a couple of pop-ups.”
Lubreski dominated NYIT’s lineup for 8.2 innings. He had a no-hitter through seven innings (broken up by senior, Christopher Rula), he struck out six batters and he took a shutout into the ninth inning.
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and NYIT’s Frank Sanacore in scoring position, Jake Lebel stepped up to the plate and ended the game in dramatic fashion. He hit a walk-off home run to rightfield on the first pitch of the at-bat and became the hero in Game 1. Lebel had a simple approach in mind before his at-bat.
Jake Lebel hit a walk off two-run HR in Game One (Photo Credit: Nakeem Grant)
“I was down at third base just before [the at-bat] and Coach Malvagna was just like ‘We don’t need one in the tennis courts right now, just get one right up the middle’,” said Lebel. “I just got a pitch up and out and it went over the fence.”
Although Marble only earned no-decision, his fellow senior, Joseph Portela got the win in his relief appearance. He pitched in the eighth and ninth, striking out three batters in his Senior Day outing.
All the action in Game 2 occurred at the plate and on the bases. There were several lead changes throughout the game as neither team backed down. Senior centerfielder, Joe Daru, took matters into his own hands for NYIT. Daru had a sacrifice fly, he recorded one hit, and he was a menace on the bases.
“That’s a big part of his game; his ability to steal bases and put a little pressure on the defense,” said coach Malvagna.
Daru stole three bases and scored twice. He scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the sixth.
Daru’s counterpart at the leadoff spot, Evan Pietronico hit a three-run double for NJIT in the top of the fourth. That was the last time that they scored as Brandon Alberto pitched 3.1 scoreless innings in relief for NYIT to earn the win. Lebel and Anthony Caradonna each had two hits as they both helped to propel NYIT’s offense.
As impressive as coach Malvagna’s seniors played today, he was not surprised at all.
“Those guys have carried us all year,” said coach Malvagna. “It doesn’t surprise me that they would just come out and perform on Senior Day, they’ve been doing this all year.”
NYIT has won their last three games to bring their overall record closer to .500 at 17-18. Their four-game series shifts to New Jersey tomorrow as they play a second doubleheader against NJIT.
