In the first day of the three-day, double-elimination ECC tournament at Angelo Lorenzo Field, No. 1 LIU Post and No. 3 Bridgeport advanced to the winner’s bracket and will square off tomorrow at 12:30. No. 2 NYIT and No. 4 Queens will play an elimination game at 9:30am. The winner of the early game will play the loser of the second game at 3:30pm. Weather could be a factor as the forecast is calling for rain between the hours of 9am and 3pm. In the event of a rainout, Sunday will be used as a make up date.
Here’s how it went down today:
Game 1:
Bridgeport got out to an early 3-0 lead on a solo shot in the second inning by Cory Listing, an unearned run and a sac fly off the bat of Vincent DeRubeis.
The Bears got one one back in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Kieran Dowd to score Jake Lebel.
Alex Rauso hit a two-run shot in the fifth and an RBI double in the sixth to open up a 6-1 lead.
Dean Fazah came on in relief of Chris Mott to escape a bases loaded jam, but much of the damage was already done as the Bears were looking to fight back. They were able to push two runs across in the home half of the sixth on an RBI double by Trey Moran and a sac fly by Chris Campbell.
Rauso continued his incredible offensive afternoon with a two-run single in the ninth to open up an 11-3 lead.
The Bears were able to put up three runs in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI double by Ben McNeill and a ‘little league home run’ by John LaRocca who hit an RBI triple and came around to score on the overthrow.
Robbery! John LaRocca with one of the best catches you’ll ever see to rob a homerun. pic.twitter.com/TC4LUMxz5i
— ECCNetwork (@ECCSportsNet) May 9, 2019
LaRocca made the play of the year earlier in the game on an incredible leaping grab to rob a home run. It was the type of play that could appear on Sportscenter tonight.
Jason Burger went the complete game for the Knights, he allowed five ER and struck out three batters to save the bullpen for the rest of the weekend.
The Bears will have to win two elimination games tomorrow to reach the ECC Finals. They fall to 31-13 on the season while Bridgeport improves to 20-27.
Game 2:
LIU Post opens up a 6-0 lead after four innings pic.twitter.com/z71AtmYxwE
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 9, 2019
The No. 1 seed Pioneers had their ace James Varela on the hill and put this one to rest pretty quick.
They scored one run in the second inning on an RBI single by David Franchi to score Andy Camilo. They added two runs in the second inning on an RBI double by Chris Wasson and a run-scoring single by Dave Brehm, who notched his 200th career hit earlier in the week.
They broke the game open in the fourth inning on a moon shot by Zach Fritz (his first of two on the day), RBI double by Brehm and a throwing error by the third baseman to score Wasson.
Varela was at his sharpest. He fired a complete game, he allowed just five hits and three walks. He faced only one jam, a bases loaded, no out mess in the 8th but escaped it unscathed.
Along the way, he broke the program record for strikeouts in a season with 117. He previously set the record last season with 116.
Brehm and leadoff hitter Giovanni Ciaccio led the team with three hits each, while Brehm, Fritz and Anthony Vaglica each had two RBI. Vaglica also threw out both attempted base stealers, which now means he has thrown out 73 percent of the runners this season–an astonishing percentage.
With Varela going the CG, they now are set up for the rest of the weekend. They have freshman sensation Joshua Loeschorn going tomorrow. He is 9-0 with a 1.50 ERA. Earlier today he was named ECC Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year.
