.@berlandsen96 with Molloy starting pitcher Kevin Hiss pic.twitter.com/iOi5TkcrtV
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) March 25, 2018
It was a very successful afternoon for the Molloy Lions, as they completed the series sweep over ECC-rival Bridgeport with a 2-0 win in Game One and a 5-2 win in Game Two.
This weekend at Mitchell Athletic Complex, the Molloy Lions climbed back up to .500 (11-11), start conference play at 4-0 and extend their winning streak to five games.
“I’m proud of the way the pitching was,” said head coach Joe Fucarino. “Our whole goal was to get the pitching right for conference [play], and we got four quality starts back-to-back-to-back-to-back.”
Game one was a pitchers duel from the beginning, but Molloy senior Kevin Hiss would win the battle throwing a complete-game shutout allowing six hits and recording six strikeouts on 109 pitches. “It was important for me to have my stuff working from the start and throw strikes,” said Hiss. Hiss improves his record to 4-1 this season.
“Kevin has been dealing all season. He’s been hungry to be in the weekend rotation. He’s been pounding the zone and throwing all three pitches for strikes,” said head coach Furcarino.
Molloy’s first run came in the third when senior Angelo Navetta got caught in a rundown between first and second, allowing sophomore Jake Saltzman to score from third.
The most productive inning offensively for the Lions was the sixth with two hits, a walk and a reach on an error as a team. The second and final run came on a RBI single from sophomore Sean Hogan.
Matt Overton was the only Molloy hitter with two hits in game one, as he finished 2-4.
Bridgeport only had three players left-on-base in game one and no Purple Knight crossed home plate finish the shutout.
Game two saw an uptick in offense with solid pitching on both sides. Molloy sophomore Anthony Vano started for the Lions in game two. Vano finished his day with seven innings pitched, two runs (one earned), four walks and three strikeouts to earn the victory.
Bridgeport would strike first as Jose Negron hit a solo home run to right field in the top of the second. Negron finished game two with three hits. Bridgeport only had five hits as a team in game two.
Two innings later, junior Nick Marino drove in senior Elijah Leerdam on a RBI single.
Bridgeport answered right back the next half inning with a triple by Vincent DeRubeis, who would score on a wild pitch.
Neither team would score until the seventh when Molloy would break the tie and not look back. Leerdam would drive in the first run of the inning on a RBI single. Saltzman scored on a wild pitch after hitting a single earlier in the inning. Overton would finish the run production with a RBI single to score Navetta.
Lucas Burton and senior Sean Klotsche would each pitch an inning in relief allowing no runs with Klotsche earning the save.
Four Molloy hitters finished with two hits which included Jack McCarty, Elijah Leerdam, Sean Hogan and Ryan Hensley.
The Lions face East Stroudsburg on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. at Mitchell Field. Molloy continues conference play this weekend when they face Queens College.
