Myrtle Beach, S.C. (Feb. 23, 2018) – The Molloy baseball team defeated Concordia, 10-7, and fell to Stonehill, 10-7, in its first two games of the Northeast Challenge. The Lions moved to 2-3 on the season.
Game One: Molloy 10, Concordia 7
The Lions started the contest with a four-run first inning. With runners on second and third, junior Nick Marino reached on an error, which scored sophomore Sean Hogan. Senior Elijah Leerdam drilled a two-RBI single through the right side to make it 3-0. Junior Michael Wall grounded to first to score freshman Matt Overton to increase the lead to 4-0.
Concordia (0-1) scored in the second inning to cut the lead to 4-1.
In the fourth, sophomore James Messina crossed the plate on a wild pitch to make it 5-1.
In the fifth, freshman Jake McCarthy grounded out to short to score Overton and give the Lions a 6-1 advantage.
The Clippers scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to shrink the maroon and white's lead to 6-4.
Senior Angelo Navetta, who recorded three hits and two RBIs, ripped an RBI double to center field to put Molloy ahead 7-4. Overton, who collected three hits and three RBIs, then scored Navetta on a single to left.
After Concordia scored one run in the seventh, Overton and McCarthy picked up RBIs in the eighth to make it 10-5.
Senior Shawn Klotsche struck out two batters in the ninth to pick up his first save of the season.
Redshirt sophomore Timothy Panetta gave up two runs, one earned, on four hits, and struck out five in 2.2 innings to register his first win of 2018.
Game Two: Molloy 7, Stonehill 10
Molloy jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Senior Jack McCarty walked with the bases full. McCarthy then was hit by a pitch, which brought in a run, to increase the lead to 2-0.
Stonehill scored in the third to cut the Lions' lead to 2-1.
In the fourth, Hogan scored on a passed ball. Later in the frame, Navetta also scored on a passed ball to make it 4-1.
The maroon and white scored three runs in the fifth. Hogan drilled an RBI double to left. Navetta then doubled to center field to bring in Hogan. Navetta scored on a passed ball, which capped the three-run frame and put Molloy up 7-1.
The Skyhawks plated five runs in the fifth to cut the lead to 7-6.
Stonehill scored once in the sixth and three times in the seventh to secure the 10-7 victory.
The Lions continue play in the Northeast Challenge tomorrow, Feb. 24 when they take on Franklin Pierce. The game is scheduled to start at 11:00 a.m.
