Pomona, N.Y. – The Molloy baseball team split a doubleheader against the Spartans of St. Thomas Aquinas (4-0 and 4-1) Sunday evening at Clover Stadium. The Lions who held the second-longest winning streak in Division II (23 games) sees their run snapped holding a 32-8 overall record and 22-3 in East Coast Conference play, while the Spartans hold a 24-18 overall record and 13-12 in league play.
 
Game One: Molloy 4, St. Thomas Aquinas 0

• The Lions wasted no time, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first after sophomore Steve Mulqueen connected for a two-run home run.
• The Spartans looked to crack the scoreboard in the bottom of the third with runners on first and second with one out, but graduate student JC Kiss denied the chance ending the inning with a pair of fly outs.
• Molloy added to its lead, 4-0, in the top of the fifth. With runners on second and third, junior Mike Sweeney lined a single into the right center field gap to plate juniors Jack Vallario and Anthony Marsillo.
• St. Thomas Aquinas put two runners in scoring position with two outs in the bottom of the frame seeking to shrink the deficit, but once again Kiss shut the door striking out Michael Zeis to keep the shut out intact.
• The home would be held to just two hits for the remainder of the contest as the cardinal and white would go on to complete the shut out, 4-0.
• Mulqueen collected his ninth home run of the season and drove in two, marking his third straight game with a long ball.
• Sweeney knocked in a pair of runs.
• On the mound, Kiss improved to 6-1 tossing six shutout innings and striking out two.
• Out of the bullpen, freshman Jason Torres picked up his first career save pitching three no-hit innings to close the contest.

Game Two: St. Thomas Aquinas 4, Molloy 1

• The cardinal and white served as the home team in game two.

• Molloy wasted little time to get on the board in game two, taking a 1-0 lead after junior Charlie Imhof singled up the middle to plate senior Sean Welsh in the bottom of the first.
• St. Thomas Aquinas looked to tie the contest at one in the top of the second with runners on first and second with two away, but redshirt junior Mike Knapp halted the chance with an inning ending strikeout.
• The Lions threatened in the bottom of the second putting runners on second and third with two outs, but the Spartans would scurry out of the jam inducing an inning ending ground out.
• The Spartans once again put runners on first and second with two outs in the fifth in search to tie the contest, but as in the second Knapp concluded the inning with a strikeout.
• St. Thomas Aquinas took advantage of a pair of Molloy errors in the sixth to put runners on first and third with one out. The Spartans tied the game at one following an RBI single.
• STAC would load the bases later in the frame with two away, but sophomore Jayden Patel put a stop to the rally with a strikeout.
• The cardinal and white put the go-ahead run on third in the bottom of the sixth but was unable to convert, as the Spartans induced an inning ending ground out to close the frame.
• The Spartans would once again see two errors from the Lions defense that would lead to a three-run top of the seventh to take a 4-1 lead. Two runs scored following a throwing error before an RBI double capped the inning.
• Molloy would put a runner on in the bottom of the seventh but would not be able to overcome the three-run deficit.
• Imhof drove in a run.
• Welsh collected two walks, one hit, and one run scored.
• On the mound, Knapp tossed five scoreless innings allowing four hits and striking out seven in the no-decision.  

Up Next
The Lions conclude their four-game series against the Spartans Monday, April 27 at Mitchel Field beginning at 3:30 p.m.