Uniondale, N.Y. – The top-seeded Molloy baseball team defeated the fourth-seeded Mercy Mavericks, 12-4, in the first round of the East Coast Conference Tournament Thursday afternoon at Mitchel Field. The Lions improved to 34-13, while the Mavericks fell to 13-35. Senior Charlie Cucchiara picked up his 22^nd career victory, which set the program record.
 
Sophomore Jason Schwartz was awarded the East Coast Conference Elite-19 award in a pregame ceremony.

How it Happened

• Mercy jumped ahead with two runs in the top half of the third.
• The Lions answered with three runs in the bottom of the third. Juniors Aidan Larkin and Gavin McAlonie hit RBI singles to even the score, 2-2. Graduate student Chris Peralta hit a sacrifice fly to center field, which scored Larkin and made it 3-2.
• Sophomore Tom Lebrecht hit an RBI triple to center in in the fifth to increase Molloy's advantage to 4-2.
• The Mavericks tallied runs in the sixth and seventh to tie the score, 4-4.
• The Lions used a six-run seventh to take a 10-4 lead. Peralta hit a two-run home run, Sophomore JJ DeVito hit a two-run double, and Larkin blasted a two-run homer.
• Graduate student Robby Keane hit a sac fly, and Larkin walked with the bases loaded to bring the number one seed's lead to 12-4.

Top Performances

• Larkin tallied four RBIs, three hits, and scored two runs.
• Devito recorded four hits, two RBI, and scored two runs.
• Lebrecht tallied three hits and one RBI, and junior Garrett Scavelli added three hits.
• Peralta logged three RBIs.
• Cucchiara pitched seven innings, gave up four runs, three earned, on eight hits, and struck out five to move 8-3 on the season.

 
Up Next
 
The Lions play the third-seeded Queens College Knights in the Game Four of the ECC Championship. The game is slated to begin at 1:00 p.m. at Mitchel Field.