by Ryan Manno
Several Long Island college baseball programs were in action Saturday, with teams across Division I, II and III competing in conference and non conference matchups. The day featured breakout offensive performances, strong pitching outings, and even a game that stretched late into the night.
Division-I:
Stony Brook
Stony Brook battled Northeastern in a marathon contest that was suspended due to darkness after 11 innings tied 3-3. The teams will resume the game Sunday at 12 pm ET, beginning in the top of the 12th inning.
The Seawolves showed resilience by matching Northeastern throughout the game after dropping the first game of the series 4-0 earlier in the weekend. Stony Brook, which has struggled early in the season, now sits at 1-10 overall and will look to finish the suspended game strong when play resumes.
Hofstra
Hofstra picked up its first win of the season, defeating Charleston 8-3 in CAA play at Patriots Point in South Carolina.
After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, the Pride responded with eight unanswered runs to take control of the game. Tyler Cox delivered one of the best offensive performances of his career, going 3 for 5 with three doubles and five RBIs. His final hit of the game, a three run double in the eighth inning, sealed the victory for the Pride.
Daniel Escalante also made an impact, recording two hits including his first career home run, a two run blast in the fifth inning that helped extend Hofstra’s lead.
On the mound, Chris Bedford struck out six batters in 4.2 innings of work, while Maddon McArthur earned the win with four strong innings of relief, allowing just one run.
The Pride improved to 1-7 overall and 1-1 in CAA play and will look to secure the series win Sunday.
LIU
LIU swept a doubleheader against Norfolk State, winning 15-4 in seven innings and 7-5 to take the first two games of the NEC series.
In game one, the Sharks exploded early, scoring five runs in the first inning, highlighted by a grand slam that quickly put them in control. LIU continued to pile on runs throughout the game and secured the victory via the run rule.
The second game went similarly to start, with LIU jumping out to a 6-0. Norfolk State rallied late to make it close, but the Sharks bullpen held on to secure the win.
With the sweep, LIU improved to 2-7 overall and 2-0 in Northeast Conference play heading into Sunday’s series finale.
Fordham
Fordham split a doubleheader with Cornell at Houlihan Park.
In game one, the Rams cruised to a 7-2 victory, powered by a dominant offensive performance from catcher Tommy McAndrews, who went 2 for 4 with five RBIs. McAndrews delivered the biggest hit of the game with a three run home run in the fifth inning, helping Fordham build a comfortable lead.
Starter Beau Elson was strong on the mound. He tossed seven scoreless innings while allowing just four hits.
However, the Rams were shut down in game two, as Cornell pitching held Fordham to just one hit in a 3-1 loss. The Rams managed to tie the game in the sixth inning without recording a hit, but Cornell regained the lead with a solo home run in the seventh.
Fordham now sits at 3-9 on the season with the rubber game scheduled for Sunday.
Division-II:
Queens College
Queens College dropped both games of a doubleheader against Goldey-Beacom, falling 10-7 in the opener and 8-7 in the second game.
Despite the losses, the Knights offense was impressive, producing 14 runs on 23 hits across the two games.
Rookie center fielder John Harkins led the way with five hits, including his first career home run, while scoring three runs and driving in two. Senior Connor Waiting also had a big day, blasting two home runs and driving in four runs, while Vincent Mallon contributed five hits, including three doubles.
Queens rallied late in both games but ultimately fell short, allowing Goldey-Beacom to complete the sweep.
Molloy
Molloy earned a 7-3 win over Lynn University in Boca Raton, improving to 5-3 on the season.
The Lions jumped out early, scoring two runs in the first inning. Junior Steve Mulqueen delivered a highlight moment with a solo home run that struck the scoreboard in the sixth inning, marking his second straight game with a home run.
Sean Welsh and Jack Vallario each drove in two runs, while starting pitcher JC Kiss delivered a strong outing, throwing 6.1 innings while allowing just two runs on two hits.
Reliever Jayden Patel closed out the game with 2.2 innings of relief, escaping multiple late scoring threats from Lynn to secure the win.
Adelphi
Adelphi picked up its second consecutive victory, defeating Wayne State 7-5 in Cary, North Carolina.
Junior pitcher Jake Sekinski delivered the best start of his career, throwing six innings without allowing an earned run, while striking out five batters and giving up just two hits.
At the plate, Evan Carway led the Panthers offense with a perfect 4-for-4 performance and three RBIs, while Matt Ryan added two RBIs.
Adelphi built a 7-1 lead before Wayne State mounted a late rally, but reliever Michael Tufo shut the door to earn his first save of the season. The Panthers improved to 2-3.
Division-III:
St. Joseph’s
The Golden Eagles split a double header in Myrtle Beach, SC against Bridgewater State. They won, 11-7, and lost, 4-1.
In the victory, they jumped out to a 3-0 lead thanks to a three-run shot by Joe Thatcher.
They also put up a three-spot in the fourth inning to take a commanding 6-2 lead.
Paul McNally added a solo shot in the sixth inning, and Thatcher continued his hot hitting with an RBI single to open up a 9-2 lead.
Bridgewater State battled back, making it 9-6 in the sixth inning but that’s as close as they’d get.
Freshman left fielder Andrew Amarando had three hits for the Golden Eagles, Thatcher drove in a game-high four runs. Owen Shortell, Frankie Asaro and Jon Margolies all contributed two hits.
John Moeller went five strong innings for SJLI and Ryan Barlow locked down the five-out save.
SUNY Maritime
SUNY Maritime dropped both games of a doubleheader against Rochester at the RussMatt Invitational, losing 8-7 in game one and 5-1 in game two.
The Privateers came out hot in the opener, scoring five runs in the first inning, but Rochester gradually chipped away and took the lead in the fifth inning.
Maritime nearly tied the game in the seventh, bringing the winning run to the plate with the bases loaded, but Rochester escaped the jam to secure the victory.
In game two, Maritime scored early but Rochester broke the game open with a four run sixth inning to complete the sweep. The Privateers are now 0-5 on the season.
