Molloy University Athletics

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 | Box Score 4 ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Mar. 1, 2016) - The Molloy College baseball team played down at the Ripken Experience in the Palmetto State of South Carolina last weekend, facing four programs from the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference. The action got started on Friday when the Lions took on Chestnut Hill; the Lions then played Saturday contests with Nyack and Felician before facing Concordia (N.Y.) on Sunday.

Molloy 4, Chestnut Hill 2
Junior infielder Brian Murphy (Elmont, N.Y.) drove in three runs---including two with the go-ahead single in the eighth inning---and senior closer Deilyn Guzman (East Hampton, N.Y.) pitched a shutdown ninth inning to lift the Molloy College baseball team to its third win in a row, handing Chestnut Hill a 4-2 defeat on Friday (Feb. 26) at the Northeast Challenge in Myrtle Beach.

The Lions got on the board in the third inning as junior Kevin Podell (Wantagh, N.Y.) drove in Guzman with an RBI single, but the Griffins scored in the next inning on a throwing error. Molloy re-took a one-run lead in the sixth as Murphy walloped a double that brought home Angelo Navetta (Staten Island, N.Y.); Chestnut Hill though came back in the seventh on another throwing error that led to a run scoring. After freshman Timothy Panetta (Broad Channel, N.Y.) held the Griffins at bay in the top of the eighth inning, the maroon and white went to work in the bottom half of the frame. Navetta hit a 1-0 offering from senior starter Zachary Crim (Horsham, Pa.) into center field for a single and Michael Rahn (Sayville, N.Y.) reached on a bunt attempt plus a throwing error. The red-shirt junior would steal second base, setting up Murphy for the game-winning hit in the eighth as he knocked a 2-0 pitch from Crim into the outfield to bring home two runs. Guzman would come in to pitch the ninth and the East Hampton native struck out the side to lock down the win for Panetta.

Molloy starter Ronald Bauer (Hicksville, N.Y.) tossed a laborious five-plus innings of work, yielding only one hit and one unearned run. Bauer, however, had struggles with his command as he walked eight batters while striking out four. Panetta pitched a scoreless inning while surrendering just one hit to net his first career collegiate win and Guzman picked up the save for the Lions. Navetta had a three-hit day while Murphy went 2-for-4 and drove in three runs to lead Molloy to the win.

Molloy 13, Nyack 4
The offense rolled for the maroon and white in a 19-hit barrage against Nyack College, leading to a 13-4 win for the Lions over the Warriors. Molloy scored four times in the second inning and three times in the sixth inning of play. Podell had a 3-for-5 outing with two RBI while Navetta smacked a solo home run in the eighth inning for the Molloy in the win. Red-shirt junior pitcher Bobby Kelly (Mineola, N.Y.) tossed five innings while striking out eight batters in picking up the victory.

Felician 10, Molloy 7
The Lions' pitching staff was tagged for 16 hits by Felician University on Saturday (Feb. 27) in a 10-7 loss to the Golden Falcons at Ripken Experience. Felician jumped on starter Anthony Catinella (Middle Village, N.Y.) almost immediately in the first inning. After the Lions's sophomore hurler got the first two outs of the opening frame, Bruce Strickland (Hazlet, N.J.) drew a full-count walk and junior outfielder Andrew LaMura (Brick, N.J.) singled on the very next pitch. The aptly-named Matt Diesel (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) stepped into a 2-1 offering from Catinella in the next at-bat and trucked the ball down the left field line and over the wall for a three-run home run. The Golden Falcons scored a run in both of the following innings to take what was a 5-0 lead before Molloy answered with a four-run fourth to bring the game to within a run.

After a single by Anthony Alberghina (Staten Island, N.Y.) and a Podell walk, Rahn smacked a double down the left field line to bring home two runs. Murphy then singled to center and stole second base, with an errant throw from catcher Matt Kleinstein (Marlboro, N.J.) bringing in Rahn from third base. The error also brought in Murphy as he raced around second, motored to third and chugged all the way home for the Lions' fourth run of the frame. Felician would score runs in back-to-back innings on sacrifice flies to grab a 7-4 advantage, but the Lions struck for two runs in the bottom of the seventh as the bench came alive for the maroon and white.

Sophomore Christian Todd (Staten Island, N.Y.) led off the inning with a single in a pinch-hitting opportunity, and fellow sophomore Elijah Leerdam (Jamaica, N.Y.) came off the bench and doubled down the right field line to send Todd scampering to third. Guzman would score Todd on a fielder's choice, and the East Hampton native came around to score later on a Podell groundout. Felician, however, scored three runs in the eighth inning to put the game officially away.

Catinella suffered the loss, going four-and-a-third innings while surrendering six runs on seven hits, walking six batters and striking out five. Alberghina led the Lions with a 3-for-4 outing at the plate.

Concordia (N.Y.) 6, Molloy 5
Podell and Alberghina put the Lions on the board in the first inning with three runs after Guzman put the maroon and white in position to score with a lead-off triple to open the game. Senior outfielder Nicholas Gonchar (Staten Island, N.Y.) also drove in two runs with a single in the seventh inning to give his side a 5-2 lead. Panetta started the contest and pitched well enough to get the win, yielding three runs in six-plus innings of work while fanning six batters. Guzman, though, could not secure the six-out save and was tagged for two runs in the ninth as the Clippers walked off victorious.

The Lions will host Merrimack College on Saturday and Sunday (Mar. 5-6) in a three-game set to open the home portion of their schedule at Mitchel Field.