Conference play begins for several teams this weekend, many are hoping that the games they’ve missed due to the weather won’t be affecting them as the game really begin to count. Judging by today’s results most have no reason to worry.
Division I
Stony Brook Splits DH with Hartford : 8-7 & 10-5
Stony Brook was carrying a two run lead into the ninth when a two-out rally by Hartford cost the Seawolves the game. SBU had been up 7-2 after five innings, but Hartford came back with six unanswered to pull out the win.
The Seawolves’ bats looked great for the first half of the game, capitalizing on mistakes made by Hartford’s pitchers and defense to score the first two runs of the game. They then put up three runs in third on singles from Brandon Janofsky and Chris Hamilton, and a ground out by Casey Baker.
Hartford finally got on the board with two in the fourth, but Stony Brook came right back with two of their own. Again they loaded the bases, this time the pitcher hit and walked a batter, but SBU couldn’t pull out a clutch hit, which cost them in the end.
Game two saw a reversal of roles as Stony Brook came from behind to win in a shortened game. After 3 1/2 Stony Brook was down 5-1, with their one run coming on a Baker single. The Seawolves then went on to score nine unanswered runs to split the doubleheader.
Baker got the rally started in the third, he hit a triple to right center that scored Janofsky and then came in to score on a wild pitch. In the fourth he grounded out to second to score a runner, and this time Janofsky scored on a wild pitch in the next at bat to tie the game.
A five run fifth put SBU on top, catcher Sean Buckhout had an RBI single and another run came in on a double play ball from Dylan Resk, but the big blow came in between. Third baseman Jeremy Giles took an 0-2 pitch over the left field fence for a three-run home run.
This offensive explosion along with a terrific performance by Kevin Kernan helped SBU seize victory. Kernan entered the game with one out in the third and shut Hartford down allowing just two hits in 4 2/3. It was his first win of the year.
Stony Brook will finish their series with Hartford tomorrow morning at 11 A.M.
Fordham Shut Out by George Mason: 2-0
A terrific start by Jimmy Murphy goes to waste as Fordham can’t get on the board in their loss to George Mason. Murphy threw eight innings and allowed six hits in his loss today, however the two runs he gave up were unearned, stemming from the game’s lone error. His command was certainly sharp, as he struck out seven while walking just one.
Offensively Fordham tallied six hits, just as many as George Mason, but the cards didn’t fall the right way and they couldn’t push any runs across. First baseman Brian Goulard and designated hitter Ryan Mahoney each had two hits, leaving just two for the rest of the lineup. It’s tough to score when two guys do two-thirds of the hitting.
Fordham will look to bounce back tomorrow at 2 P.M. for the second game of their series with George Mason.
Hofstra Pulls Out Dramatic Win vs Charleston: 2-1
A ninth-inning single through the right side by Hofstra shortstop Mikey Riesner propelled the Pride to a win in their first conference game of the year. Riesner drove in David Leiderman after an error put him into scoring position, it took some timely hitting and excellent pitching but Hofstra was able to get past the College of Charleston in the first game of this series.
Starter Teddy Cillis wouldn’t get the win, but he was fantastic, going six innings while allowing six hits and just one earned run. Cillis also struck out eight while walking just two.
Chris Weiss got the win for pitching the game’s final three innings, he only allowed one hit. He did strike out five, but the five walks he allowed added a bit of drama to the game. In fact, he put the tying and winning runs on base in the bottom of the ninth, but he was able to pitch out of it because of that ability to get big strikeouts.
Hofstra’s only other run came in the top of the second when catcher Vito Friscia homered to right center.
This series will continue in South Carolina tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 P.M.
Division II
LIU Post Sweeps St. Thomas Aquinas in DH: 6-3 & 15-7
Post began conference play with two huge wins in today’s doubleheader against STAC. The offense was clearly clicking as Post had 27 hits in the two games.
The Pioneers jumped out to a 3-0 as Dave Brehm drove in two with a double in the first, and Rob Andreoli hit a solo home run to right in the third. However, Aquinas clawed back into the game and it was tied up again heading into the seventh.
Jimmy Mendyk broke the tie with an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh, he went three for four with an RBI and a run scored on the day. That would prove to be enough but a fielders choice by Matt Bowers and a ground out by Joe Spitaleri added two more insurance runs in the eighth.
Starter Jake DeCarli earned his third win of the season with his seven inning outing, he struck out seven will giving up just two earned runs. Brian Tinney pitched a perfect eighth, and Dan Jagiello earned his fourth save of the year for pitching the ninth.
In game two STAC jumped out to an early lead, but an eight-run third helped Post complete the sweep. They were down 4-1 with their one run coming on a double by Anthony Vaglica when Andreoli hit a two-run home run and the tide of the game began to turn.
Post added six more runs that inning, four came on singles from Brehm, Vaglica and Spitaleri, and the other two came on a walk and an error. They went on to add two more runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings, and most came on the long ball.
Brehm had a solo homer in the fourth and Thomas Asbaty and Vaglicia both had two-run home runs, Asbatay in the fifth and Vaglicia in the seventh. Bowers also singled in a run in the fourth.
Noah Lorenzo earned his fourth win throwing seven innings of four-run ball while striking out eight. He struggled out of the gate, giving up a pair of two-run home runs, but he settled in and refused to give away the lead once Post got it.
There will be another doubleheader between these teams tomorrow beginning at noon, this time STAC will be home.
Division III
Old Westbury Sweeps DH vs Yeshiva: 18-7 & 17-0
Old Westbury torched Yeshiva State with incredible offense in their first two conference games of the season. Westbury jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first on a triple from Tommy Ziegen, the shortstop, and a subsequent single for designated hitter Louis Sileno. Yeshiva did respond with three runs of their own, so we went to the second with Westbury down one.
After a scoreless second Westbury added five more runs in the third, Ziegen got the scoring started again with a lead off home run to left. Following a pop fly they loaded the bases with two singles and a walk, scoring the second run of the inning on a passed ball. After Yeshiva loaded the bases again a right-field single by Jesse Russo scored two. Westbury added one more run when Carlos Balmaceda scored from third while the pitcher picked Russo off at first.
Again Yeshiva responded, but this time with just one run, it was 7-4 after three. The rest of Westbury’s runs came in the final two innings, they put up six in the sixth and five in the seventh. Over the course of those two innings Russo scored one with a triple, and David Hawley then knocked Russo in with a single. First baseman Dean Sheridan drove one in on a ground out, Gianni Carbone and Paul Rapoli did the same on singles, and Ziegen and Kevin Lao on doubles. Lao also crushed a two run home run to left center in the sixth.
Steven Tellerias earned his first win of the season, he threw all seven innings, struck out nine batters and surrendered seven runs when all was said and done.
Westbury was even more dominant in game two today, scoring at least one run per inning while shutting Yeshiva out behind starter Jason Espinal. Espinal was fantastic, pitching a complete-game three hitter with eight strike outs and no walks.
The offense was able to score 17 runs on 14 hits as Yeshiva’s pitching staff had some trouble hitting the strike zone, and their defense committed four errors. The first run came on a bases-loaded walk to Michael Gismondi, who later singled in a run in the fourth.
Catcher Nicholas Balfe led the second off with double to left center, and after advancing to third on a wild pitch he scored on a ground out from Nick Cordeo. Bafle had a huge game leading the team with three hits, three runs scored and four RBIs.
Zeigen went two for three with three RBIs, he drove two in on a single in the second and one in on a double in the fourth. Louis Sileno also had three RBIs, from a two singles and a ground out, going two for five on the day. Jesse Matos knocked two runs in on a sixth inning single, Liam Slattery went two for three with a walk and scored two runs, and right fielder Tyler Roberts scored three times on two hits and drove in one on a fourth inning triple.
Westbury will be home tomorrow for another doubleheader at noon against Castleton University.
