by Mike Anderson
Week 4 is among us in the 2022 NCAA Baseball season, and the local teams were back at it again Friday night. Let’s go around the horn and see how they did.
Division I:
LIU beat Fordham, 9-4, where the two teams combined for 26 hits. It was such an offensive game that 17 of the 18 starters between the two lineups recorded at least one hit. All of LIU’s starters hit safely, while eight of nine Fordham starters hit safely.
Second baseman Jack Harnisch led off the game with a home run for Fordham, but that lead was lost in the top of the third when shortstop EJ Exposito crushed a three-run homer to left field. LIU took a 3-1 lead, and only added to it later. An RBI single in the bottom of the third made it just 3-2, but LIU scratched across three more in the fourth and two more in the fifth to make the score 8-2. This stretch of five unanswered runs included three home runs; the middle of which was Exposito’s second of the day.
Despite the high hit totals, LIU starting pitcher Joshua Loeschorn continued his excellent early-season stretch by tossing up a quality start and earning the win for LIU. He improved to 3-0 on the year, as he allowed three runs on six hits (two earned) in six innings while striking out five and walking none.
LIU’s offense was explosive all day, as they compiled 16 hits, with six guys having multi-hit games. Exposito finished the day 2-5 with two homers and four RBIs.
LIU is now .500 again at 7-7 while Fordham has fallen to 2-11. The two teams will meet up again tomorrow morning in the Bronx, with an 11:00 a.m. start time.
George Washington University shut out Hofstra 7-0 in a game that was rather lopsided. Hofstra’s bats couldn’t touch George Washington’s arms, while George Washington’s bats scattered hits all over and had some big innings.
The Colonials drew first blood with a three-spot in the bottom of the third, starting on an E5 and stopping on an RBI fielder’s choice. In the bottom of the sixth, right fielder Logan Leax singled home a run to make it 4-0. They put the game out of reach with another three-spot in the bottom of the eighth, when shortstop Steve Ditomaso hit an RBI single to start it. After that, Leax scored on a passed ball and first baseman Eddie Micheletti drove in the final run.
GWU got a gem of a start from Harrison Cohen (Cold Spring Harbor 2017), who dealt eight scoreless innings with eight strikeouts, no walks, and only three hits. All of this work was on just 95 pitches. They let Trevor Kuncl finish the damage, as he pitched a scoreless top of the ninth inning to secure the combined three-hit shutout. Cohen earned his second win, now 2-2 on the year.
GWU improved to 5-8 with the victory while Hofstra fell to 4-5. The two will rematch Saturday with a doubleheader, with the first pitch scheduled for 11:30 a.m..
St. John’s split a doubleheader with Manhattan College on Friday, as they dropped the day game and won the nightcap. The win ended an 11-game losing streak for the Johnnies, giving them their first home win of the year.
Game one saw Manhattan pull off a nice comeback, and turn their big deficit into a big win. Once trailing 6-2, they wound up winning 11-6 in eight innings. Left fielder David Glancy started the scoring with an RBI single in the bottom of the first for St. John’s. Manhattan took their first lead in the top of the second by plating a pair, but then St. John’s went on a run to take the lead. Designated hitter Tate Ballestero tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth, and then Glancy untied it with a very rare three-run single in the top of the fifth. Ballestero then finished that rally by scoring on a wild pitch.
Now trailing by four, the Jaspers had some work to do. Left fielder Trevor Santos produced an RBI groundout in the sixth, and then center fielder Harrison Treble came up with an RBI double to left in the top of the seventh. Catcher Matt Padre then knotted the game up with a two-RBI single to make it 6-6.
Now drawn even, the Jaspers ran away with it. They took advantage of sloppiness by St. John’s by playing small ball: back-to-back bases loaded walks gave them the lead in the top of the eighth, followed by a fielder’s choice and a two-run single. They plated five in the inning to take an 11-6 lead, and then reliever John Farley slammed the door in the bottom of the inning. Farley was the winning pitcher, as he went 3.1 innings out of the bullpen, only issuing a hit-by-pitch.
Manhattan College racked up 14 hits, as Treble led the way with four.
Game two was a pitcher’s duel, as St. John’s turned to freshman right-hander Dylan Johnson (Newfield 2021). Johnson went five innings, surrendering just the one earned run on five hits. He fanned four and walked three. He was opposed by left-hander Will Hesslink, who took a complete-game loss while pitching six innings, as the game was only seven innings.
The first three-and-a-half innings were scoreless, until center fielder Jackson Tucker came up clutch with a two-run single to put St. John’s on top 2-0. That would be all they need, as Manhattan would only be able to muster up one run, which came in the top of the fifth on a home run by David Bermudez.
Chuck Sanzio came out to pitch the top of the sixth and went the distance, getting the final six while only surrendering a walk. He recorded the save for Johnson, who is now 2-0, having earned both of St. John’s wins.
After the split, Manhattan College is 5-13, and St. John’s is 2-12. They will get a rest day on Saturday and then play the rubber match of the series on Sunday, starting at 1:00 p.m..
Old Dominion swept a doubleheader from Stony Brook down in Norfolk, Virginia, winning the two games by similar scores of 9-3 and 8-3, respectively. Old Dominion is now ranked 24th in the country, and showed why when they took the field Friday afternoon against Matt Senk’s Seawolves.
B5: No Doubt! Robbie Petracci hammers this for a two-run homer!
ODU 6 SB 1#ODUSports | #Monarchs | #ReignOn pic.twitter.com/KmAtQBvTuZ
— Old Dominion Baseball (@ODUBaseball) March 11, 2022
Right fielder Carter Trice began the scoring with a two-run homer to left field in the bottom of the first. Stony Brook came back to tie in the top of the third after back-to-back RBI hits from catcher Shane Paradine and third baseman Evan Giordano. Left fielder Andy Garriola gave Old Dominion the lead back with an RBI groundout, but left fielder Matt Brown-Eiring did the same to tie it back up in the top of the sixth. That tie did not last long, as shortstop Tommy Bell immediately broke it with a solo blast. In the next inning, Trice hit his second two-run homer of the day as part of a three-run seventh inning. In their last turn at-bat, already up 7-3, Bell clubbed his second homer of the night. Center fielder Thomas Wheeler homered as well; Old Dominion’s fifth of the game.
Game one starter, Tommy Gertner, went five innings, allowing just a pair of earned runs on five hits. He struck out six and walked one, but received a no-decision. Reliever Joey Rodriguez got the win, as he pitched the top of the sixth inning and blew the hold opportunity, but was given the lead immediately after. Jason Hartline closed the game out and pitched a nine-out save for his fourth save of the year, not allowing a hit and just walking one batter. That was game one, but game two was a little less exciting for Old Dominion despite the score being similar.
Nick Pantos got the game two start and shoved, striking out 11 in six innings. He did allow seven hits, but pitched around them, and only surrendered one unearned run in the top of the first. He outdueled Stony Brook starter Brandon Lashley, who was making his first start since his freshman year of 2020. Pantos is now 3-0.
Stony Brook had their chances, racking up 11 hits, but left 10 runners stranded as Old Dominion pitching struck out 17 hitters. Stony Brook sent 11 different hitters to the plate, and 10 of them struck out. Noah Dean finished the game for Old Dominion, getting the final five outs and earning a multi-inning save. All five of his outs were strikeouts, as he picked up save number three for the year.
With the sweep, Old Dominion is now 12-1 and riding a nine-game winning-streak. Stony Brook, on the other hand, is now 3-10. They too will get Saturday off before facing off on Sunday at 1:00 p.m..
Division II:
Molloy College is red-hot after an 0-3 start, having won eight in a row after beating Bloomfield College down in Boca Raton, FL. Molloy pitchers worked out of constant trouble to hold Bloomfield to just three runs despite allowing 16 baserunners.
The game was tightly contested, as Molloy held a 3-2 lead going to the top of the eighth. However, Javell Barnes broke through with an RBI single to tie the game at three apiece. Molloy was able to respond strongly, with a four-spot in the bottom of the eighth to take the lead and put it out of reach. The scoring started on an error by the first baseman that let two runs score to break the tie. Up 5-3, third baseman Chris Einemann drove home another run with a sacrifice fly, and then second baseman Robby Keane singled home the insurance run that made the lead four.
AJ Verga came out and pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning with a pair of strikeouts, slamming the door for Molloy. By getting this win, Molloy now sits at 8-3 and 1-0 in the Lynn Invitational, while Bloomfield falls to 4-7. Saturday at 11:00 a.m. will be Molloy’s next contest, when they take on the American International College.
Adelphi swept Bridgeport by the scores of 11-2 and 10-0 on a beautiful day in Garden City. In Game 1, Nic Luc started and posted a quality start – going 6.0 innings and allowing just two runs while striking out seven. He got all the runs he would need in the first inning when Kyle Olson drove in Matt Alifano and Tim Feliz crushed a 2-R HR to open up a 3-0 lead. The Panthers compiled 17 hits, led by Olson and Mike Draskin who each had 3. Matt Alifano, Anthony Cipri, Joe Pellegrino and Cooper Johnson all had two – with Johnson going deep to blow the game open. Jordan Falco, Jacob Pedersen and Kevin Glasser combined for the 3 innings of relief.
In Game 2, it was much of the same. Michael Storms started and went 5 shutout innings with 9 strikeouts, yielding just two hits. The Panthers had 14 hits in 7 innings. Olson and Draskin had 3 each once again. Steven Murphy and Jacob Dannenberg combined for the 2 innings of relief.
The Panthers are back in action on Monday to close out the series against Bridgeport.
Franklin Pierce University swept Queens College in a doubleheader with a pair of dominant wins. FPU’s pitching was dominant, only allowing two runs in total on the day.
Game one was a blowout, when Franklin Pierce took the game 10-1. They took the lead early in the top of the first inning on a grand slam off the bat of DH Hunter Wilic. The rest of the offense was up-and-down; they hit under .200 on the game but scored 10 runs. This was mainly due to the fact that they got 10 extra baserunners: five walks, five errors. Four of the runs they scored were unearned off of Queens’ pitching staff.
Their starter, Patrick Hann, gave them seven innings of one-run ball. He earned the win, now 2-0 this year. Sean Foody and Ray Seward threw back-to-back perfect innings to close the game.
Game two was also dominated by FPU, as they won 6-1, taking more advantage of more Queens mistakes. Their offense was much more efficient, racking up 12 hits while only leaving six men on base.
The game only went seven innings, yet four FPU hitters found time to rack up multiple hits. Right fielder Graham Smith led the way with three hits and two RBIs. Starting pitcher Kyle Roche walked five in 5.1 innings but still got the win, as he surrendered just the one run while whiffing eight.
The sweep means that Franklin Pierce is now 7-5, while Queens College is now 5-5. Game three was originally scheduled for Saturday, but was canceled. Franklin Pierce automatically gets the series sweep. Queens’ next game will be at home in Flushing against Wilmington University on Wednesday. First pitch will be at 3:00 p.m..
Division III:
Farmingdale State College had a rough day down in Auburndale, FL, as part of the RussMatt Invitational. They played a doubleheader against two different teams, and lost both games.
Fontbonne University played the role of the road team as they beat Farmingdale in a high-scoring 10-8 game. They received a strong output from the offense and a good start from their pitcher, Nick Glaser. Glaser went seven for the Griffins, only allowing one earned run on four hits while striking out seven and walking one. The offense produced 15 hits, including six doubles. Eight different batters drove in a run for Fontbonne. They scored in each of the first four innings, including three in the top of the first.
The defensive performance from Farmingdale was strange, to say the least. They committed four errors, but also turned six double plays. However, the errors were costly and led to runs that wound up being the difference in the ballgame. Farmingdale did have a rally in them, but it came up just short. They scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the deficit from seven runs to two, but Fontbonne brought out Tyson Wilson to get the save. Wilson secured the victory, and Fontbonne improved to 4-7.
Salve Regina came along for game two, playing as the home team against Farmingdale. Salve Regina completely ran away with this game, as they one-hit Farmingdale’s lineup.
Second baseman Patrick Dallas led off the game for Farmingdale with a base hit, and then Farmingdale was no-hit for the rest of the day. Starting pitcher Dominic Perachi improved to 2-0 for Salve Regina by striking out 13 over six scoreless innings. Their staff struck out 17 overall.
Salve Regina’s offense came in spurts, as they scored three in the third, four in the fifth, and then one in their last two innings each. Catcher Dylan Ketch and shortstop Michael Breen both went 2-for-3 with two driven in each.
Salve Regina took the game by a final score of 9-0, as they improved to 3-1. Farmingdale now sits at 2-4 but will have a chance for a redeemer Saturday afternoon. They will take on Western New England, with the first pitch scheduled for 4:30 p.m..
Stevens Institute of Technology traveled to Hoboken, NJ, and swept Old Westbury in a doubleheader with a pair of blowout victories.
Right fielder Christian Kreiser started the scoring by lifting a two-run homer in the top of the second. Old Westbury was able to answer with an RBI single from right fielder Drew Robertson, which cut the deficit in half. However, Stevens went on to go score nine unanswered runs over the final six innings to take a ten-run lead and blow the game open. Incredibly, Stevens hit three consecutive home runs to lead off the top of the fifth inning. The first two came on back-to-back pitches, and both of those first two homers were first pitch homers. The third home run came on the second pitch. Four pitches, three home runs. The third home run was also from Kreiser, his second on the afternoon.
Starter Anthony Pron threw a seven-inning complete game for Stevens, allowing one earned run on eight hits with eight strikeouts and no free passes. He earned the win to improve to 3-2.
Game two was even more substantial of a blowout, as Stevens won 16-3. Their offense put up another 14 hits, and they led 9-0 by the third inning. They also drew 11 walks as a lineup.
Old Westbury first baseman Oscar Fajardo clubbed a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth to break up the shutout, but Stevens would just go on to score another seven unanswered runs over the rest of the game. Their final two runs came by way of a pinch-hit, two-run homer by Jack Irby.
This game was also seven innings, so starter Ryan Shea only needed to go four innings to qualify for a win. He gave his team 4.1, allowing just the three runs on one big swing. Shea is now 4-0 this year.
With the wins, Stevens improved to 10-3, while Old Westbury fell to 0-7 on the year. They will look for win number one this Sunday in a doubleheader against John Jay. Game one starts at noon.
