Uniondale, N.Y. – The Molloy baseball team capped off the regular season portion of their schedule Saturday afternoon defeating the Dolphins of Staten Island, 19-6, at Mitchel Field. The Lions head into the East Coast Conference tournament as the top seed with a 36-9 overall record alongside a 26-4 record in league play. 36 wins before entering postseason play ties a program record for wins in a regular season.
Prior to the start of the contest, the program celebrated its members of the senior class:
Jack Coogan (Finance),
JC Kiss (Business Analytics),
Sean Mileti (Entertainment and Sport Management),
Sean Serrano (Nursing),
Sean Welsh (Finance), and
Jeremy Taggart (Finance).
How it Happened
- After the Dolphins took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first following an error, Molloy responded with an eight-run bottom of the first to take control, 8-1.
- The Lions did their damage with the bases loaded beginning with sophomore Steve Mulqueen who walked in a run before Coogan plated a pair with single to right field.
- Taggart followed driving in another two runs with a single up the middle before another run came in following an error. The frame was capped after Serrano scored following a wild pitch and junior Brian Sanchez driving in junior Mike Sweeney with a single.
- Molloy's offense continued to thrive in the fourth, adding one four runs to increase the lead, 12-1. Mulqueen got it going again with a single through the left side to score a run, junior Charlie Imhof played a run with a double into left field, Coogan recorded a sacrifice fly, and Taggart singled in a run.
- Staten Island would cut the deficit to nine, 12-3, in the fifth with a two-run single, but the cardinal and white would get those runs back in the bottom of the frame to retake the 11-run lead, 14-3.
- The home team used the long ball to yield five runs between the seventh and eighth inning. Junior Jack Vallario connected for a three-run home run in the seventh and sophomore Matt Nowlan hit his first career home run to plate two to finish the eighth to extend the lead, 19-3.
- Staten Island tallied three runs in the ninth as the Lions would go on to clinch the victory, 19-6.
Top Performances
- Taggart, Coogan, and Vallario drove in three runs each with Taggart leading the trio with three hits.
- Imhof and Mulqueen totaled three hits and two RBI each while Mulqueen scored four runs.
- Sanchez and Welsh collected two runs and two hits apiece.
- On the mound, Kiss improved to 7-1 on the campaign tossing five innings allowing two earned runs on four hits and striking out five.
- Redshirt junior Mike Knapp collected his first save of the season, pitching the final four innings allowing three runs on four hits and whiffing seven.
Up Next
The Lions will host the East Coast Conference Championship at Mitchel Field this weekend, beginning on Thursday, May 7. Time and opponent in TBA, continue to check molloylions.com for updates.
