Uniondale, N.Y. – The 2023 baseball season concluded this afternoon as the top-seeded Lions fell to the third-seeded Knights of Queens College, 11-7 and 9-8, in the East Coast Conference Championship. Molloy ends the campaign 35-17.
Game One: Molloy 7, Queens 11
- The first three innings were a feeling out phase of the contest as graduate student Brian Morrisey and Queens starter Johnnie Rodopolous allowed one hit combined through the first third of the contest.
- The Knights broke through in the fourth inning, tallying four runs in the frame to take a 4-0 lead.
- Queens continued to hit well in the sixth, putting together a six-run inning on the back of two home runs to take a commanding 10-0 lead.
- Molloy began to time up the Queens starter in the bottom of the sixth. Junior Gavin McAlonie singled home the first run of the game, junior Anthony Manisero singled with the bases loaded to bring home a run and two additional runs scored off an error, and junior Matt Yip recorded a sacrifice fly to cut the Knights lead in half, 10-5.
- The road team added a run of insurance in the eighth to pull ahead, 11-5.
- Molloy tacked on runs in the eighth and ninth, but ultimately would fall, 11-7, to set up a winner take all final game.
Game Two: Molloy 8, Queens 9
- Queens did not let Molloy get settled, scoring six runs in the opening inning to take an early 6-0 lead.
- The Lions cracked the scoreboard in the third, junior Garrett Scavelli belted a solo home run to cut the deficit to five, 6-1.
- After a scoreless fourth inning, the cardinal and white rallied for four runs in the fifth inning. Yip scored on a wild pitch, sophomore JJ DeVito knocked in a run with an RBI ground out, graduate student Jake McCarthy singled home a run, and junior Aidan Larkin scored on a wild pitch to bring the contest within one, 6-5.
- Molloy continued to stay hot at the plate in the sixth. With two runners on and two outs, Scavelli tripled down the right field line to score two runs and came around to cross the plate on an RBI single from Larkin to give Molloy its first lead of the afternoon, 8-6.
- Queens did not allow much time to go by as they cut the lead back to one, 8-7, after a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth.
- In the bottom of the eighth, the Knights knotted the contest at eight following a solo home run.
- The Knights would go on to win the contest in the 10th inning, 9-8, to clinch the title.
For the latest news and updates regarding Molloy Athletics, visit www.molloylions.com. Keep up with the softball team by following the team's Instagram account @MolloyBaseball.
