BOCA RATON, Fla. (Mar. 12, 2017) – The Molloy baseball team picked up a 5-1 victory over American International College on the campus of Lynn University in their third game of the Lynn Invitational. Redshirt senior Bobby Kelly (Mineola, N.Y.) improved to 2-0 on the season, going 5.2 innings, striking out five batters. On the campaign, the Lions now sit at 3-9.

The maroon and white got on the board in the bottom of the first inning. Freshman Jake Saltzman (Old Bethpage, N.Y.) led off with a single up the middle before stealing second. Senior Anthony Alberghina (Staten Island, N.Y.) reached after being hit by a pitch before redshirt senior Michael Rahn (Sayville, N.Y.) singled to score Saltzman and give Molloy the 1-0 lead. Senior Kevin Podell (Wantagh, N.Y.) singled in the next at bat to double the score.

Kelly held the Yellow Jackets scoreless through the top of the sixth, when freshman Matt Krause (Spotswood, N.J.) tripled to right centerfield and scored following a Colin Nicklas (Plymouth, Mass.) strikeout to cut the lead in half. Molloy responded in the bottom half of the inning, when Rahn hit a solo home run to push the Lions ahead 3-1.

The team would tack on two more insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, as Podell reached on an error to score Angelo Navetta (Staten Island, N.Y.) and junior Elijah Leerdam (Jamaica, N.Y.) doubled to center to score Brian Murphy (Elmont, N.Y.).

Junior Shawn Klotsche (Wantagh, N.Y.) came in to pitch the ninth inning, retiring the Yellow Jackets in order to seal the game in favor of Molloy. Sophomore Lucas Burton (Glendale, N.Y.) threw 2.1 innings in relief, giving up only one hit and striking out four.

Rahn went 2-for-2 with two RBIs, while Murphy and Saltzman combined for five of the team's six stolen bases.

The Lions continue their Florida trip tomorrow (Mar. 13) as they take on host Lynn University at 3:00 p.m.