UNIONDALE, N.Y.(Mar. 4, 2017) - The Molloy baseball team fell to the Merrimack Warriors, 12-5, Saturday afternoon at the Mitchel Field Athletic Complex. The Lions moved to 1-7 overall in the loss.

The Lions opened the scoring in the top of the first. With two outs, first baseman Angelo Navetta (Staten Island, N.Y.) walked, then third baseman Michael Rahn (Sayville, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch. With runners on first and second, senior Anthony Alberghina (Staten Island, N.Y.) reached on an error by Warrior first baseman Thomas Joyce (Newton, Mass.), allowing Navetta to score, which gave the home team a 1-0 lead.

Merrimack (3-3) took the lead in the top of the fourth. Right fielder Matt Nicholson (Rockland, Mass) homered to center field to knot the score at one. With runners on second and third, first baseman Matt Joyce (Newton, Mass.) hit an RBI single to make it 2-1. Later in the frame, left fielder Ryan Petrone hit an infielder single which drove in a run, then, another run scored, after a Molloy throwing error, to increase the Warriors' lead to 4-1.

The Warriors made it 5-1 after a sacrifice bunt from third baseman Matthew Ronai (Orange, Conn.). 

The Lions threatened in the bottom of the eighth. With the bases loaded, junior Joseph Nastasi (South Salem, N.Y.) walked to cut Merrimack's lead to 5-2. But sophomore Ryan Hensley (Franklin Square, N.Y.) grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Merrimack answered in the top of the ninth with seven runs to go ahead 12-2.

The maroon and white started to rally in the bottom of the ninth. Rahn hit an RBI single to cut the lead to 12-3. Then, right fielder Elijah Leerdam (Jamaica, N.Y.) hit a two-RBI double to left field to make it a 12-5 game, but that was as close as Molloy would get.

Senior Ronald Bauer (Hicksville, N.Y.) threw seven innings, gave up five runs on eight hits, and struck out nine batters in the loss.

The Lions and the Warriors conclude their three-game series tomorrow with a double-header which begins at 12:00 p.m.