With conference play beginning on Long Island, we were treated to an outstanding day of baseball. For the first time all year, Long Island teams came out on top in every single game played on Saturday afternoon. The tough competition everyone has played since February is seeming to pay off.
We covered the unbelievable Farmingdale State-USMAA double header, which you can read about by clicking here.
For everything else, here’s what you need to know.
Division-I:
Another day, another win for the Seawolves. On Saturday afternoon, Stony Brook saved their best work for the late innings as they defeated Sacred Heart, 4-1. With the win, they extend their winning streak to seven. After Sacred Heart jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, the score would remain the same until the bottom of the 8th. Although the bats were cold until late, the pitching stayed in tact for Stony Brook. Despite allowing an unearned run in the first inning, Brian Herrmann did his job on the mound as he went seven innings allowing five hits, striking out 11. Ben Fero got the win in relief, as he pitched two perfect innings. Trailing 1-0 heading into the 8th, the bats came alive at the right time. After having only three hits all game, they strung together four runs to take a commanding 4-1 lead heading into the 9th. The rest is history. Michael Wilson went 2-4 with an RBI, continuing his scorching 2019. Stony Brook looks to take a three game sweep against Sacred Heart as they play today at 1 PM.
Fordham continued their winning ways on Saturday as they beat St. Bonaventure, 8-1. Their winning streak now stands at four games. All around, this was a picture perfect game for the Rams. In the bottom of the first inning, Fordham exploded for seven runs, providing them with a comfortable cushion that propelled them to victory. On the mound, John Stankiewicz got the start and was phenomenal. He pitched six one-hit innings and struck out 10 batters. The bullpen combined to allow just two hits the rest of the game. Jake Guercio was the leader of the offense, as he was 3-4 on the day. Fordham is looking to extend their winning streak to five as they have another date with the Bonnies today at noon.
Division-II:
Kicking off ECC action, NYIT beat Molloy 3-1 on Saturday afternoon. With the win, NYIT now stands at 10-4 on the season. As for Molloy, they fall to 3-12. Right out of the gates, NYIT jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on a Ryan Kuskowski 2 RBI double. From this point on, they never looked back. Kuskowski finished 2-3 on the day, driving in all three runs for NYIT. DJ Masuck got the start for NYIT and he completely shut down the Molloy offense. He went the distance, allowing four hits and no earned runs. His record now improves to 3-0 on the year. Both teams will compete in a double header today starting at noon.
Taking advantage of the poor competition, LIU Post shellacked Lincoln University in both games of the double header. In game one, they won 28-3. Game two wasn’t much different as they won 18-2. Evidently, Lincoln never stood a chance. LIU Post’s offensive numbers got fat, as they combined for 46 runs in two games. They play Lincoln again in a double header today starting at 1 PM.
Once again displaying their scorching hot bats, Adelphi defeated Assumption 14-5 on Saturday afternoon. Although they trailed 4-1 early in the 2nd inning, they once again relied on their offense to do the heavy lifting. A five-run 5th inning gave the Panthers a 6-4 lead and they took control from there. When it was all said and done, the offense combined for 14 runs on 11 hits. Thomas Colombo was their leader at the plate, as he went 2-4 with 4 RBI. Tom Ambrosino picked up his third save of the year, as he pitched 1.2 hitless innings. Adelphi plays Merrimack in a double header today at noon.
Opening up conference play, Queens swept Mercy in their conference opening double header. In game one, Queens beat Mercy 8-4. Mercy actually held a 3-2 lead heading into the 5th in this one, but that would change on a Louis Antos RBI. Staying tied going into the bottom of the 6th, Queens tacked on two more runs, followed by a three-spot in the 7th. In total, seven different players on Queens recorded RBI and five different players had multi-hit games.
The bats for Queens stayed hot in game two, as they triumphed to a 20-10 victory. Clearly, Mercy couldn’t keep up with the Queens offensive explosion in this one. Highlighted by a 13-run 6th inning. Queens combined for 16 hits. Once again, everyone chipped in offensively. This time, seven different players recorded multi-hit games and eight different players recorded RBI. Nick Font finished the game with 5 RBI and Joe O’Rourke had 4 RBI. Queens looks to open up conference play with a three-game sweep, as they complete their series with Mercy today at noon.
Ju-Co:
Suffolk swept Nassau, by the scores of 19-2 and 8-6. In Game 1, they exploded for 11 runs in the eighth inning. Joe Valentino earned the win and Corey Tingo went 2-2 with two walks and four runs scored.In Game 2, Tyler Schmid recorded the victory and David Heller got the save. Suffolk improves to 5-4 on the season.
