Uniondale, N.Y. – Saturday afternoon was made for junior Brian Sanchez, as the infielder combined to hit .750 (9-for-12), drove in nine runs, and tied the program single-game hit record in Molloy baseball's sweep of the Staten Island Dolphins (23-11 and 14-5) at Mitchel Field. The Lions improve to 8-6 overall and 3-1 in East Coast Conference play, while the Dolphins move to 3-9 overall and 0-4 in league play.
 
Game One: Molloy 23, Staten Island 11

• The Lions jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first after Sanchez and junior Jack Vallario brought home a run each with a single and senior Sean Welsh scored following a balk.
• Molloy busted the game open in the third, putting up eight runs to extend its lead, 11-0. After a run scored following a stolen base, junior Anthony Marsillo blasted a two-run home run over the center field fence.
• The inning continued with senior Jeremy Taggart bringing in a run with a single, followed by Sanchez who drove in a pair with a single to left. The eight-run frame was capped by Welsh who connected for a two-run home run of his own.
• The cardinal and white would scored a run in the fourth and four in the fifth to tally five unanswered runs to open a 16-0 advantage.
• Staten Island got on the board in the bottom of the fifth, collected five runs on the back of a two-run home run, and a pair of singles that drove in three to cut the deficit, 16-5.
• The contest would be able to catch its breath for one inning, as the sixth frame saw neither team have a run cross the plate.
• After the Dolphins had a run score in the bottom of the seventh to shrink the lead, 16-6, the Lions hung a five-run top of the eighth to push the lead, 21-6. Marsillo accounted for three runs, driving in two with a triple and scoring following a wild pitch.
• The home team responded in the bottom of the eighth for five runs of their own, on the back of three run scoring singles to bring the contest back within 10, 21-11.
• Molloy capped game one with a two-run home run from Taggart in the ninth and clinched the game one victory, 23-11.
• Sanchez tied a single-game hit record, totaling six hits while driving in a career-high five runs.
• Taggart collected four hits, four runs, and a career-high four RBI while hitting his first home run of the season.
• Marsillo drove in a career-high four, scored four times, walked three times, and blasted his first home run of the year.
• On the mound, graduate student JC Kiss improved to 3-1 on the year tossing five innings allowing five runs and striking out five.

Game Two: Molloy 14, Staten Island 5

• As they did in game one, the Lions put up three runs in the top of the first inning to begin game two. Welsh started the rally with an RBI triple and scored following a ground out from sophomore Steve Mulqueen. Junior Charlie Imhof topped off the inning, belting a solo home run over the left field fence.
• After a scoreless second, Molloy added to its lead, 4-0, after Welsh deposited his second home run of the day into left field in the top of the third
• Staten Island cut the deficit in half, 4-2, in the bottom of the frame when Michael Flasher snuck a two-run home run down the right field line.
• The Lions answered back in the fourth, using three consecutive run scoring hits to open their lead, 7-2. Junior Joe Burriesci started it with a run scoring double into left center, up next Mike Sweeney brought Burriesci in with a triple, and Sanchez followed, capping off the frame plating Sweeney with a single into right field.
• The cardinal and white tacked on to its lead in the sixth to increase its lead, 9-2. Marsillo connected for his second home run of the day, a solo shot, and Sanchez singled into center to score a run.
• Molloy used a five-run seventh to put the game out of reach, 14-2, as freshman John Franco doubled in Imhof and Sanchez drove in another two runs with a single to highlight the frame.
• The Dolphins would see three runs cross the plate in the bottom of the seventh, but the rally would stop there as the Lions closed out the sweep, 14-5.
• Sanchez drove in four runs on three hits and scored twice.
• Wesh knocked in three, scored twice and connected for his fifth home run of the season.
• Redshirt junior Mike Knapp earned his second win of the season, tossing 4.2 innings of work allowing two runs on four hits and whiffing four.

Up Next
The Lions will step out of conference play Wednesday, March 18 as they welcome Dominican to Mitchel Field. First-pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.