LIU Post pitched their way to two wins in a double-header against Queens College on Saturday, taking the first game 3-1 before winning the second 2-0.
The first game was dominated pretty thoroughly by Post sophomore Noah Lorenzo. The southpaw went 8.1 innings and struck out five while allowing eight baserunners to reach.
He left with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth after throwing almost 120 pitches, but redshirt senior reliever Brian Tinney came in and struck out the final two batters in emphatic fashion to give the Pioneers the victory.
Lorenzo improved to 4-2 for the year on the win and lowered his ERA from 4.06 to 3.59.
Zach Fritz’s patient effort at the plate was the catalyst for Post’s offense in the first game, as the first basemen went 2-3 with an RBI double, a run scored on a balk and a walk. Fritz saw 9 pitches or more in three of his at-bats and flustered Knights’ start Dylan Hughes thoroughly in his first three at-bats.
Hughes had a solid day himself, pitching six innings and allowing only two runs, but his team couldn’t muster up enough support to get him the win as his season total drops to 1-4.
The second game gave us yet another pitcher’s duel in a conference series that has been full of them so far.
Pioneer pitcher Joe Valentino tossed a complete game shutout (albeit in a shortened, 7-inning game) and allowed just four hits while striking out five. After Lorenzo had beaten the Queens batters down, Valentino put them in submission, allowing the Knights to get a runner in scoring position only once.
Valentino improved to 2-1 on the season and lowered his ERA from 9.20 to a more respectable 6.23.
There was a bizarre moment early in this one after Valentino hit Queens’ CF Ron Linsolato in the head with a pitch.
As Linsolato tossed his bat and began to trot to first, the umpire called him back to the plate, suggesting that Linsolato had leaned into the pitch and calling the pitch a ball rather than a HBP.
Queens head coach Chris Reardon was furious, storming out of the dugout to confront an awaiting umpire who knew this was anything but a typical call.
I caught Reardan saying, “this is the oddest thing I’ve ever seen” and agree with him to say the least.
After play resumed, Linsolato immediately hit a single to left, ending up on first base anyway.
LIU Post struggled offensively as well. They only mustered three hits on the day, scoring both their runs on fielder’s choice plays.
The second of their scoring plays was courtesy of some fantastic baserunning by senior Rob Andreoli.
With one out and runners at first and second, Dave Brehm grounded into a potential double-play. Knowing that the Knights would try for the double play, Andreoli rounded third and headed for home plate. When the hustling Brehm was ruled safe at first, Queens’ first baseman Jonathan Temenak turned and fired to home plate, but a sliding Andreoli narrowly beat the tag.
Brehm’s hustle was not only apparent in his baserunning, but showed in the field as he made a pair of gorgeous sliding catches in right field over the course of both games.
After picking up two more wins, LIU Post improves to 18-11 with a 9-2 record in conference play. Meanwhile, Queens College drops to 9-16 with an abysmal 1-9 conference record.
The teams will finish the four game series on Sunday at noon.
