Niagara Falls, N.Y. – For the fourth time in five seasons, the top-seeded Molloy baseball team reigns as East Coast Conference Champions, topping the fourth-seeded Knights of Queens College, 17-9. Graduate student Aidan Larkin was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, after hitting .800 driving in six runs, and scoring five times. The cardinal and white improved to 32-17 and clinch a spot in the NCAA tournament.

How it Happened

• Larkin got the scoring started in the top of the first with an RBI single up the middle to get the Lions on the board.
• In the top of the second, junior Sean Welsh and Larkin collected run scoring singles apiece to open the Molloy advantage, 3-0.
• The cardinal and white put together a five-run top of the third to break open the game, 8-0. After the first run of the inning scored off a wild pitch, redshirt senior Matthew Gonchar singled to score a pair of runners.
• The inning continued with Larkin collecting an RBI after a safety squeeze and senior Nicholas Dagnello capped the inning with a run scoring single.
• Queens fought back in the bottom of the fourth, rallying for five runs on the back of two doubles and a pair of ground outs to cut the deficit to three, 8-5.
• Molloy followed with a five-run top of the fifth to reclaim its eight-run lead, 13-5.
• The inning began with Dagnello bringing in a run with a sacrifice fly. Two batters later, with the bases loaded, junior Sean Serrano walked to plate a run and junior Jack Coogan followed with a run scoring single.
• Junior Jeremy Taggart concluded the scoring in the frame with a two-run single through the left side.
• The top of the sixth saw the Lions add three runs following a bases loaded walk from Dagnello, a sacrifice fly from Serrano, and an infield single from Coogan to open the lead to 11, 16-5.
• The Knights continued to battle back, adding three runs in the bottom of the frame after Thomas Napolitano hit a sac fly and Nick Piazza hit a two-run home run to come within eight, 16-8.
• A sacrifice fly from Gonchar set the lead at 17-8 before Queens answered with a run in the eighth to come to cut it back to eight, 17-9.
• Freshman Jayden Patel retired the Knights in order in the bottom of the ninth to clinch the victory and the ECC title.

Top Performances

• Gonchar paced the offense with four hits while scoring three runs and driving in three.
• Larkin tallied three hits, three RBI, and two runs scored.
• Welsh scored four times as part of a three hit day.
• Dagnello drove in three runs.
• Coogan and Taggart knocked in two runs each while collected three and two hits, respectively.
• Serrano scored twice and drove in a pair of runs.
• On the mound, redshirt sophomore Mike Knapp collected his fourth win of the season tossing 5.1 innings and striking out four.

Up Next
The Lions earned a berth to the NCAA East Regional. The selection show will air Sunday, May 11 at 10:30 p.m. on NCAA.com. Check molloylions.com to stay up to date on the opponent, location, and time of the contest