Uniondale, N.Y. - The Molloy baseball team wrapped up their four-game series with the Spartans of St. Thomas Aquinas Monday afternoon with a 5-4 victory at Mitchel Field. The Lions head into the final weekend of the regular season 33-8 overall and 23-3 in East Coast Conference play while the Spartans sit at 24-19 overall and 13-13 in league play.
How it Happened
- Offense would be hard to come by for both teams as they combined for just two hits through four innings.
- In the bottom of the fourth, Molloy used four walks in the inning to yield the first run of the contest. Junior Joe Burriesci worked an eight-pitch at bat with the bases loaded to give the Lions a 1-0 lead.
- Molloy looked to add to the lead in the inning, but a diving play from STAC third baseman Kyle DeCresce halted the rally.
- St. Thomas Aquinas tried to respond in the top of the fifth with runners on first and second with one out, but junior Thomas Charlwood ended the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.
- The Spartans loaded the bases in the sixth with no outs on the board. After being called out of the bullpen, redshirt senior Sean Mileti induced a double play that would plate a run to tie the game at one, but ended the inning with a ground out to limit the damage.
- The contest would not stay tied for long as junior Charlie Imhof led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run to give the Lions a 2-1 lead.
- Later in the frame Molloy loaded the bases looking to add to their lead, but the road team would scramble out of it by inducing a ground out to keep the score at bay.
- In the top of the eighth, the Spartans took advantage of a pair of Molloy errors to plate two runs in the frame to jump ahead, 3-2.
- The bottom of the frame saw the Lions respond, reclaiming the lead, 5-3. The scoring began after junior Mike Sweeney singled home junior Jack Vallario to tie the game at three. Up next with junior Brian Sanchez at the plate, the home team saw two runs cross the plate following a Spartans error to take the lead.
- The road team loaded the bases in the top of the ninth, leading to a run scoring following a fielder's choice to cut the deficit down to one, 5-4.
- The contest came down to the final out as the Spartans had the tying run 90 feet away and the go-ahead run on second base. Sophomore Artie Green was brought into the game to get the games final out in a lefty-lefty matchup. The left-handed Green would succeed getting a game-ending ground out to secure the victory, 5-4.
Top Performances
- Imhof belted his fifth home run of the season.
- Burriesci reached base in all four at bats, collecting three walks and one hit while scoring a run.
- Sweeney drove in a run and scored a run.
- On the mound, Charlwood pitched five innings allowing one run on three hits while striking out four in a no-decision.
- In relief, Mileti tossed two perfect innings and struck out two.
- Green picked up his first career save.
Up Next
Molloy returns to Mitchel Field Thursday, April 30 to begin their final regular season series against the College of Staten Island beginning at 3:30 p.m.
