The LIU Post Pioneers are ECC Champions for the first time since 2010!! pic.twitter.com/jMf2MJWQWK
— aXcess Baseball (@axcessbaseball) May 14, 2017
For the first time since 2010, the LIU Post Pioneers are East Coast Conference champions.
They completed the journey with their 9-7 victory over the Molloy Lions. This was the first time in the past six seasons that the ECC champion was not either Dowling or St. Thomas Aquinas. It was a game that definitely lived up to the expectations as the score bounced around quite a bit, but despite the late push from Molloy, LIU Post was able to come out on top.
LIU Post got out to an early lead in the bottom of the first with a Zach Fritz RBI fielder’s choice with the help of a throwing error that brought in a pair of runs. Molloy answered back with a run of their own on a single from Sean Hogan that drove in a run which gave the Lions some life early. However, the Pioneers answered back with one more on an RBI double from Kenny Daley who had a monster day at the plate.
Molloy found a way to fight back in the fourth as Kevin Podell drove in Angelo Navetta on a single that also got past the center fielder. With that being said, whenever Molloy came up with runs in the top half of the inning, LIU Post always seemed to answer it in the bottom half. In the bottom of the fourth, Daley continued his scorching hot day and smacked a three-run homer to give the Pioneers a 6-2 lead after four.
Fast forward to the seventh, the Molloy bats broke out. With one out, the next three batter reach base loading the bases for Anthony Alberghina who got plunked bringing home a run. The next batter was Angelo Navetta who hit a sacrifice fly to center scoring another run. Mike Rahn then came up big with a two-run single tying the game at six. The game looked like it was going to pull a 180, but immediately into the bottom of the seventh, Anthony Vaglica hit a solo shot to give the Pioneers a one-run lead. After the homer, they put together four straight singles including a two-run hit by Jimmy Mendyk. Heading to the eighth, LIU Post led 9-6 until an RBI triple from Anthony Galanoudis brought another run home, but that would be all they could muster up for the game.
LIU Post Head Coach Mike Gaffney on his team winning the ECC championship pic.twitter.com/RWlyt9fZ1F
— aXcess Baseball (@axcessbaseball) May 14, 2017
James Varela got the win for the Pioneers and he looked good early until he got roughed up in the seventh. He went seven innings allowing six runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. He also walked two and hit three batters. Brian Tinney was brought on in the eighth and got a pair of outs while allowing a run on two hits. Dan Jagiello came in and recorded his 11th save of the season, going 1.1 innings only allowing a hit.
Dominic Danetti got the start for the Lions and struggled in his four innings of work. He allowed six runs, five earned, on five hits with a pair of strikeouts to go along with two walks and two hit batters. Kevin Hiss was brought in and ultimately recorded the loss after going two innings surrendering a run on three hits. Anthony Vano came in and struggled allowing two runs on four hits without recording an out. Shawn Klotsche was good in relief, as he went two innings allowing only two hits.
“For a group that’s never played in a championship game, you never would’ve known it with the way we played,” LIU Post head coach Mike Gaffney said, “we came out loose, we didn’t come out tight. That’s something that we preached all year.”
This was the first ECC title for the Pioneers under coach Gaffney and many can say that it was the people who were here before this group that made this victory possible. “This win is not for just this team, it’s for the whole program,” Gaffney stated, “let’s be honest, this program is not the way it is without the people before us.”
An incredible season it was for both the Molloy Lions and the LIU Post Pioneers. Next season, Molloy will look to win their first conference title since 2000 as the Pioneers will look to defend their title.
For now, they will enter the east regional and look to continue their season which has now reached 30 wins.
