by Ryan Manno
Opening weekend continued across the Northeast and beyond on Saturday, February 14, as regional programs faced challenging early season competition in non-conference play. Several teams played doubleheaders as part of southern road trips, while others continued long opening series against ranked opponents.
Division-I:
Fordham University at New Mexico
Game One: New Mexico 18, Fordham 8
Game Two: New Mexico 16, Fordham 6
Fordham dropped both games of its doubleheader against New Mexico in Albuquerque, falling 18-8 in the opener before a 16-6 loss in game two.
In the first game, Fordham struck first on an RBI single from shortstop Anthony Grabau, but New Mexico responded immediately with three runs of its own. The Lobos blew the game open by scoring five runs in the third inning and eight more in the fourth, building a commanding 16-1 lead. Left fielder Lenny Junior Ashby delivered a big performance for New Mexico, going 2 for 2 with four RBIs, two walks, and three runs scored, while Tristan Russell added a home run and four RBIs. Fordham showed resilience late, scoring four runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh, highlighted by Tim Ford’s two run double, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome.
Game two followed a similar script. Fordham scored two runs in the second inning, but New Mexico answered with five runs in the bottom half to take control. The Rams responded with three runs to tie the game at five, but the Lobos regained momentum with another five run frame, propelled by a three RBI double from Gene Trujillo. Mason Dean and Caden Young each went 2 for 3 with a pair of RBIs for Fordham, but New Mexico continued to apply pressure throughout the game, finishing with 16 runs on 16 hits. Morello Mason started for Fordham and went 1.2 innings, allowing five runs on five hits.
Fordham concluded the series against New Mexico on Sunday afternoon.
St. John’s University vs Minnesota & Ball State
Game One: Minnesota 8, St. John’s 0
Game Two: Ball State 8, St. John’s 2
St. John’s dropped both games of its Saturday doubleheader in DeLand, falling to Minnesota, 8-0, before an 8-2 loss to Ball State. The Red Storm moved to 0-3 on the season after also dropping a 4-3 decision to Ball State on Friday.
In the opener, Minnesota used extra base hits to strike for three runs in the second inning and maintained control throughout. St. John’s put runners on base early but was unable to cash in. Jon LeGrande led the offense by going 2 for 4 with a stolen base, while Shaun McMillan, Ayden Frey, and Dylan Fitzsimmons added hits. Evan Chaffee settled in after the early damage, throwing 2.2 scoreless innings, but Minnesota added a solo homer in the seventh and four insurance runs in the eighth to seal the shutout.
Game two saw Ball State jump ahead early, scoring three runs in both the first and third innings. St. John’s loaded the bases in the third but failed to score, leaving a key opportunity on the table. The Red Storm broke through in the fifth when Lewis Rodriguez tripled and scored on a LeGrande groundout, then added another run in the seventh on an RBI single by Rodriguez. Ian Mowad was a bright spot out of the bullpen, tossing 5.2 innings of one run relief while inducing nine groundouts. Despite collecting 10 hits, St. John’s could not overcome the early deficit.
The Red Storm will wrap up their Florida trip on Sunday 2/15 against Stetson.
Hofstra University at Mississippi State
Game One: Mississippi State 6, Hofstra 1
Game Two: Mississippi State 7, Hofstra 5
Hofstra dropped both ends of its doubleheader against Mississippi State at Dudy Noble Field, falling 6-1 in the opener and 7-5 in the nightcap.
In game one, Mississippi State scored three runs in the first inning and added runs in the fifth and eighth to build its lead. Hofstra starter Sean Hamilton worked 4.1 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits while striking out four. The Pride avoided the shutout in the ninth when CJ Griggs launched a solo home run, his first career long ball. Mississippi State starter Tomas Valincius was in total control, throwing 5.1 scoreless innings with six strikeouts.
Game two featured more drama. Griggs homered again, this time in the first inning, as part of a three run opening frame that gave Hofstra an early lead. Mississippi State responded quickly, with Ace Reese’s three run homer in the second inning swinging momentum back to the Bulldogs. Hofstra briefly regained the lead in the fifth after loading the bases and drawing two RBI walks, but Mississippi State answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead, but this time for good. The Pride threatened in the ninth with the tying runs in scoring position, but Maddox Webb recorded the final two outs to secure the save for the Bulldogs.
Hofstra finished the weekend 0-3 and is scheduled to return home to face Iona on Friday.
Long Island University at San Diego State
San Diego State 12, LIU 5
LIU fell to San Diego State, 12-5, as the Aztecs jumped out to an early advantage and never gave up control. San Diego State scored two runs in the first inning and three more in the second to take a 5-1 lead.
LIU starter Justin DeCastro worked 3.2 innings, allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits while striking out three. Offensively, third baseman Noah Sorensen led the Sharks with two hits, a run scored, and a walk. Matthew McGurk provided a spark off the bench, delivering a pinch hit two run blast, but LIU was unable to close the gap as San Diego State continued to apply pressure throughout the game.
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook did not play on February 14. The Seawolves were off after opening their series at Arkansas State and will conclude the three game series on Sunday at noon. Stony Brook will look to secure its first win of the season before turning its attention to a challenging four game stretch against No. 5 Georgia Tech beginning February 20.
Division-II:
Molloy University vs East Stroudsburg
Game One: Molloy 2, East Stroudsburg 1
Game Two: Molloy 18, East Stroudsburg 14
Molloy swept East Stroudsburg in a doubleheader, earning a 2-1 win in the opener before outlasting the Warriors in an 18-14 duel.
Game one was a pitching battle. After East Stroudsburg scored first in the third inning, Molloy responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame on RBI hits from Sean Serrano and Sean Welsh. Graduate student JC Kiss earned the win with five strong innings, and Jayden Patel shut the door with a two inning save, stranding the tying and go ahead runners in the seventh.
The nightcap turned into an offensive explosion. Molloy scored seven runs in the first inning and never trailed, blasting five home runs in the game. Steve Mulqueen and Sean Welsh each drove in four runs, while Serrano scored four times and added a two run long ball in the ninth to provide insurance. East Stroudsburg put together a late comeback, scoring nine runs across the seventh and eighth innings, but Molloy held to complete the double header sweep and improve to 2-1 on the season.
Today delivered a full slate of exciting matchups, highlighted by strong pitching duels and explosive offensive performances across the board. If this is any indication, there’s plenty more to look forward to as action resumes tomorrow.
