Uniondale, N.Y. – With its season on the line, the Molloy baseball team defeated the third-seeded Bridgeport Purple Knights, 6-4, in elimination game one, and the top-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas Spartans, 6-4, to earn a berth in the East Coast Conference championship round. The Lions moved to 21-28 overall with the results.
Elimination Game One: Molloy 6, Bridgeport 4
The Lions jumped ahead 1-0 in the first inning, junior Angelo Navetta (Staten Island, N.Y.) grounded into a double play, which scored senior Brian Murphy (Elmont, N.Y.).
The Purple Knights plated three runs in the third and add a tally in the fifth to go ahead 4-1.
Molloy came back in the fifth. Senior Anthony Alberghina (Staten Island, N.Y.) grounded out to score Murphy, who recorded two hits and scored two runs, to cut the lead to 4-2. Later in the frame, senior Michael Rahn (Sayville, N.Y.) hit a two-run home run to left field to tie the game, 4-4. Freshman Sean Hogan (East Meadow, N.Y.) capped the four-run inning with an RBI single to put the maroon and white up 5-4.
The Lions added an insurance run in the eighth, junior Jack McCarty (Huntington, N.Y.) scored on a wild pitch to increase the lead to 6-4.
Junior Anthony Catinella (Middle Village, N.Y.) threw a complete game, gave up four runs on six hits, and struck out six batters in the win.
Elimination Game Two: Molloy 6, St. Thomas Aquinas 4
Senior Anthony Galanoudis (Farmingdale, N.Y.) went 3-for-3 and drove in two runs leading the Lions to a 6-4 win in the second game of the day. Navetta and senior Kevin Podell (Wantagh, N.Y.) chipped in with two hits in the victory.
Molloy jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning. Navetta doubled to left field to score Murphy, who recorded his 200th career hit. Later in the inning, junior Elijah Leerdam (Jamaica, N.Y.) singled through the left side to score Navetta.
STAC scored in the third to cut the lead to 2-1.
In the fourth, Galanoudis ripped a two-RBI double to left field to score McCarty and Hogan to increase the Lions' lead to 4-1.
Podell hit an RBI single, which scored Navetta, and Leerdam scored on a throwing error to bring the score to 6-1.
The Spartans scored in the seventh and tallied two runs in the ninth before junior Shawn Klotsche (Wantagh, N.Y.) shut the door for his fourth save of the season.
Redshirt senior Bobby Kelly (Mineola, N.Y.) pitched eight innings, gave up four runs, and fanned seven in the victory.
The Lions go on to play second-seeded LIU Post for the ECC title Sunday (May 13). First pitch is slated for 10:00 a.m. If Molloy wins, there will be a game a half-hour after the conclusion of the first contest of the day.
Provided by the Molloy Sports Information Department.
