Myrtle Beach, S.C. – The Molloy baseball team split a doubleheader with the Concordia Clippers to open the season Friday at the Ripken Experience. The Lions won the first game 10-2 and fell in the second 13-12.

Game One: Molloy 10, Concordia 2

• The Clippers plated one run in the top of the fourth to take a 1-0 lead.
• After Concordia tallied a run in the sixth to make it 2-0, the Lions answered with a seven-run inning. Redshirt sophomore Thomas Brady, , who recorded three hits and two RBIs, hit a two-RBI double to left field to knot the score at two. Senior Jake Saltzman drilled a RBI triple to right, and junior Jake McCarthy, who went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored, blasted an RBI double to left to increase the lead to 4-2. McCarthy and senior James Messina scored on errors to make it a 6-2 game. Senior Sean Hogan, who was 3-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored, capped the rally with an RBI single to center.
• Molloy added three runs in the seventh on RBIs from Messina, junior Peter Theodorellis, and junior Matt Overton to extend its advantage to 10-2.
• Senior Joe Minucci pitched six innings, gave up two runs, and struck out six batters to pick up his first win of the season.
• Freshman Charlie Cucchiara threw three shutout innings and fanned two batters for the save in his collegiate debut.

Game Two: Concordia 13, Molloy 12

• With the bases loaded, Overton, who tallied two hits and drove in two runs, grounded out to first, which scored Hogan and gave the Lions a 1-0 lead.
• Sophomore Chris Peralta belted a two-run double, and Saltzman hit an RBI single to increase the Lions' advantage to 4-0.
• In the second, sophomore Patrick Willix scored on an error. Hogan hit a two-run single to right, and Theodorellis scored on an error making it 8-0. McCarthy, who tallied three RBIs, scored two runs with an RBI single, and Peralta scored on a double play completing the seven-run frame, and Molloy led 11-0.
• Concordia scored one run in the second and third to make it 11-2.
• The Clippers used a 10-run fourth to go up 12-11.
• In the sixth, Overton drove in Messina, who scored three runs, to even the score, 12-12.
• The Clippers scored a run in the seventh to earn a 13-12 win.

Up Next

• The maroon and white continues the Northeast Challenge tomorrow, February 22 against Wilmington. The game with the Wildcats is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.