Box Score BOCA RATON, Fla. (Mar. 14, 2016) - One day after setting the benchmark for most runs in a game this season, the Molloy College baseball team outdid themselves by putting up 21 runs in a 21-9 victory over the Fighting Knights of Lynn University on Monday (Mar. 14) in Boca Raton, Fla. The Lions scored 21 runs in a contest for the first time since Apr. 16, 2010 when Molloy romped to a 21-7 triumph over Dowling; the win also marked the third time in the last two seasons that the Lions have put up 20 or more runs on an opponent. Molloy is now 10-4 on the season while Lynn falls to 14-9 in 2016.
The maroon and white jumped on senior pitcher Alex Caballero (Brandon, Fla.) for seven runs in the first inning, getting a majority of those runs on bases-loaded walks. Caballero issued free passes with the bags stacked to
Brian Murphy (Elmont, N.Y.),
Anthony Galanoudis (Farmingdale, N.Y.),
Christian Todd (Staten Island, N.Y.) and
Jack McCarty (Huntington, N.Y.) in successive order before Galanoudis scored on wild pitch for the team's fifth run of the frame. Caballero was replaced immediately thereafter, but senior designated hitter
Deilyn Guzman (East Hampton, N.Y.) greeted Mike McFerran (Albany, N.Y.) with a two-run single as the Lions batted around and plated their sixth and seventh runs of the frame. The Fighting Knights tagged junior starter
Kevin Hiss (Merrick, N.Y.) for three runs in the first inning and four runs in the second to knot the score up at seven-all and chase the Hofstra transfer from the contest. It stayed that way until the top of the fourth inning when Molloy scored six runs to take an insurmountable 13-7 lead. Again, plate discipline at the bottom of the batting order got the rally started as Galanoudis drew a bases-loaded walk for an RBI. Todd then reached on a fielder's choice before McCarty drew a walk to load the bases. Once again, Lynn brought in a new pitcher---freshman Ben Fagan (Boynton Beach, Fla.)---and once again, Guzman greeted him rudely with an RBI single through the left side of the infield. With the bases still loaded, junior center fielder
Anthony Alberghina (Staten Island, N.Y.) roped a 2-1 offering from Fagan down the right field line for a bases-clearing double to put the Lions up by six.
Lynn scored twice in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run home run by Ryan Donovan (Yardley, Pa.), but Molloy responded with two in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Galanoudis and a double-steal that scored
Michael Rahn (Sayville, N.Y.). Red-shirt junior
Matt Castaneda (East Meadow, N.Y.) came on in relief in the bottom of the fifth and proceeded to toss three scoreless and hitless innings. In that time span, the Lions tacked on six more runs as sophomore
Sean Klotsche (Wantagh, N.Y.) and freshman
Lucas Burton (Glendale, N.Y.) pitched perfect eighth and ninth innings to lock up the emphatic statement victory.
Guzman starred for the maroon and white with his first career five-hit game, going 5-for-6 with four runs batted in and three runs scored. Alberghina collected two hits but also set a career high with a six-RBI performance at the plate. Galanoudis drove in four runs in the game, while Murphy and Todd each drove in a pair of runs. Molloy only collected 16 total hits in the win, but the Lions drew 11 walks against Lynn pitchers. Castaneda got the win, as he combined with Klotsche and Burton to strike out six batters over their combined five innings of bullpen work.
The Molloy College baseball team will conclude its Florida stint on Tuesday (Mar. 15) with an 11 a.m. tilt against Caldwell University.
