by Ryan Manno
Several local programs were tested against strong opponents, difficult weather, and games that came down to one inning or play. While wins were hard to come by, there were still encouraging signs of competitiveness, depth and potential. From a lopsided loss in Wilmington to extra inning drama in Atlanta and weather shortened games in Myrtle Beach, February 21 proved to be a demanding day for every team involved. Here’s how it went down:
Division-I:
UNC-Wilmington 19, Fordham 0
Fordham endured a challenging outing on Saturday, suffering a 19-0 loss to UNCW in seven innings at Brooks Field as the Rams fell to 1-5 on the season.
The Seahawks established control immediately, scoring four runs in the opening inning before continuing to pressure Fordham’s pitching staff throughout the afternoon. UNCW followed with five runs in each of the second, third and fourth innings, quickly turning the game into a one sided affair.
Jake Bechtel delivered one of the standout performances of the day, finishing a perfect 4 for 4 at the plate with three doubles, four runs scored, and five RBI. Will Tyrell matched him with five runs driven in, while Cooper Allen dominated on the mound by throwing six shutout innings and allowing Fordham little room to generate momentum.
Offensively, the Rams were limited to four hits in the shortened contest. Tommy McAndrews provided power with a double, while Mason Dean, Madden Ocko, and Jack Rubin each recorded a hit.
Chase Hanawalt was given the loss after allowing five runs over 1.1 innings. Fordham will look to regroup quickly as they prepare for Sunday’s series finale, scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
Arizona State 3, St. John’s 1
St. John’s competed closely with an undefeated Arizona State squad on Saturday afternoon but ultimately dropped a 3-1 decision, moving the Red Storm to 1-5 on the season.
The game was defined by strong pitching on both sides. St. John’s staff limited the Sun Devils to just five hits. Starter Evan Chaffee worked five solid innings, surrendering three earned runs, while Jack Nestler followed with three no-hit innings out of the pen to keep the Red Storm within striking distance late.
At the plate, Adam Agresti provided the lone run for St. John’s, launching a solo home run in the third inning to tie the game at one. The redshirt sophomore finished 2 for 4 on the day. Freshman Dylan Fitzsimmons continued to impress going 2-for-4 and recording hits in four of the team’s first five games. Ayden Frey added another hit for the Red Storm.
Arizona State struck first in the second inning and reclaimed the lead in the third before adding an insurance run in the fifth. St. John’s attempted to rally late, drawing a walk to bring the tying run to the plate in the eighth, but the threat was cut short on the bases.
The Red Storm will wrap up their Arizona trip Sunday afternoon with another matchup against the Sun Devils.
Georgia Tech 6, Stony Brook 5 (F/10)
Stony Brook pushed No. 2 Georgia Tech to the limit on Saturday afternoon but came up just short in a 6-5 loss in 10 innings after a walk off ground ball took an unfortunate bounce off third base.
Georgia Tech opened the scoring with a leadoff home run and an RBI single, but the Seawolves answered immediately. Stony Brook jumped ahead with a three-run second inning, sparked by doubles from Matthew Jackson and Chris Carson, followed by a sacrifice bunt RBI and a run scoring double from James Schaffer.
The Seawolves extended their lead to 5-2 in the fourth inning on an RBI single from Scott Gell. Freshman Dylan Henshaw was huge in relief, delivering multiple scoreless frames and escaping tough jams with runners on base to keep the lead.
Georgia Tech chipped away in the sixth and tied the game in the seventh with a solo home run. From there, John Rizzo took over on the mound for Stony Brook, retiring six of the seven batters he faced over the next two innings to send the game into extras.
In the 10th inning, Georgia Tech finally broke through with back-to-back two out hits before a ground ball deflected off the bag at third base to score the winning run.
Stony Brook will close the four game series Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
Hofstra Series Wiped Out by Weather Conditions
Hofstra’s scheduled weekend series against Iona was officially canceled due to ongoing weather concerns and field conditions caused by prior snowfall. The games will not be made up.
The cancellation delays Hofstra’s return to the field. The Pride are now set to resume play Wednesday in a road matchup at Fordham before heading to Liberty for a three game series.
LIU Sharks 7, Jacksonville 12
LIU fell, 12-7, to Jacksonville on Saturday afternoon as the Dolphins captured the opener of a doubleheader and improved to 6-1 on the season.
The Sharks capitalized on an early Jacksonville error to grab momentum, but the Dolphins responded quickly with productive at bats throughout the lineup. Jacksonville steadily added runs before delivering a clutch sixth inning, when a four run frame shifted control of the game.
Cade Walter provided a major highlight for Jacksonville with a two-run home run in the seventh inning, extending the lead. The Dolphins finished with 12 runs on timely hitting and continued their strong offensive start to the season.
LIU will look to bounce back as the series continues Sunday afternoon.
Division-II
Queens 8, Adelphi 2
Adelphi dropped an 8-2 decision to Queens College on Saturday afternoon in a game shortened to seven innings due to worsening weather conditions at the Cal Ripken Experience.
Bryan McCleary led the Panthers offensively, going 2-for-3 and scoring a run. Johnny Catuosco drove in Adelphi’s lone RBI on a fielder’s choice, while Zach DeMilt crossed the plate for the first run of his collegiate career.
On the mound, Dylan Beirne made his first career start and allowed just one earned run over four innings. Ari Gluck made his collegiate debut in relief, and Matthew Curto contributed 1.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
Incoming weather forced the cancellation of Sunday’s scheduled contest. Adelphi will return home Friday for its home opener against Molloy.
Franklin Pierce 4, Molloy 2
Molloy came up just short in a tightly contested 4-2 loss to Franklin Pierce on Saturday morning at the Ripken Experience, moving the Lions to an even 3-3 on the young season.
Molloy struck first in the opening inning when Sean Welsh drove in Mike Sweeney with a groundout. After Franklin Pierce responded with two runs in the second, the Lions continued to pressure throughout the middle innings.
Welsh delivered again in the fifth, ripping a single into center field to score Sweeney and tie the game at two. Franklin Pierce answered immediately with an RBI groundout to reclaim the lead and later added an insurance run in the eighth on a solo home run.
Molloy threatened late, with runners on the corners in the ninth, but the Ravens closed the door to secure the victory. Welsh drove in both runs, while Sweeney scored twice and collected two hits. JC Kiss and Mike Knapp combined for eight strikeouts on the mound.
Molloy will next face Adelphi on February 27.
Queens 8, Adelphi 2
Queens College earned an 8-2 victory over Adelphi on Saturday afternoon before lightning and heavy rain forced the game to be called in the eighth inning.
Nick Piazza set the tone offensively, finishing a perfect 3-for-3, while Thomas McElwee scored twice. Queens broke the game open with a five run fifth inning, highlighted by RBI contributions from Tommy Pasqua and John Harkins.
On the mound, Robert Nunez earned his first win of the season after tossing two scoreless innings to begin the game. Noah Kirwin followed with a dominant relief outing, striking out five batters across two shutout innings to lock down the victory.
Queens’ final game of the weekend was canceled due to worsening weather conditions.
With early season schedules already presenting stiff competition, weather challenges, and long travel, Saturday results highlighted the opportunity that defines college baseball in February. While wins were hard to come by, several programs showed resilience against top opponents and flashes that could be crucial as the season progresses. As teams settle into their rotations and lineups, the lessons learned from games like these will shape the weeks ahead.
