Baseball

Molloy Takes Game 1 Of ECAC Championships

May 15, 2008

WATERBURY, Conn.-Steven DeJesus scattered three runs on five hits and three walks over seven innings, while striking out eight, in helping Molloy College take a 1-0 lead, in the best-of-three series against the Post University baseball team, in the first game of the 2008 ECAC Division II Baseball Championships, Thursday afternoon at Municipal Stadium.

The Lions (28-21), scored seven times in the bottom of the second inning, en route to a 9-3 win over the Eagles (25-24). Game 2 of the ECAC Championships will be Friday, with first pitch slated for 12 p.m. at Municipal Stadium. Game 3, if necessary will follow the completion of Game 2.

Junior third baseman Corey Huffine (Colorado Springs, Colo./McCook C.C.) went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in, to lead the Eagles at the plate. Junior first baseman Jim Conto (W. Hempstead, N.Y./Holy Trinity) went 1-for-3 with a run scored, and sophomore shortstop Jose Reyes (Yonkers, N.Y./Roosevelt) went 1-for-4 with a run for Post in Game 1.

The Eagles, who were the visiting team this afternoon, despite playing on their home field, scored the first runs of the game in the top of the second inning. Conto and junior catcher Joe Proscia (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) drew back-to-back walks, and Reyes laid down a bunt, and beat it out for a base hit loading the bases for junior second baseman Dan Luisi (Bethpage, N.Y./Holy Trinity), who was hit by a pitch to bring home Conto.

That brought Huffine to the plate with the bases still loaded, and he ripped a single up the middle to plate Proscia and Reyes, giving the Eagles a 3-0 lead.

However the lead would be short-lived as the Lions would break the game open in the home half of the second inning, scoring seven runs on five hits, while sending 11 batters to the plate. Joseph Menedez began the scoring with a two-run single to the gap in right centerfield. Then with the bases loaded Patrick Miles walked to score Andrew Scavuzzo to tie the game at 3-3.

Patrick Walsh smacked a bases clearing double to put the Lions up 6-3, and Chris Irwin had an RBI-single to left, to cap off the seven-run second inning. The Lions added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to account for the rest of their run total.

Irwin went 4-for-5 with a run scored and a run batted in for the Lions, while Walsh went 2-for-5 with a double, four runs batted in and one run scored. Menedez went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two runs batted in. Robert LaRusso also had a pair of hits, while scoring a run.

Post starter junior Brendan Wyman (Manchester, Conn./East Catholic) struggled while giving up seven runs on four hits and two walks in one-plus innings of work. Sophomore Tim McCarthy (Waterbury, Conn./Kennedy) pitched seven innings of relief yielding two runs, one earned on nine hits. McCarthy struck out four.

Michael Maddi and Eric Williams each pitched a shutout inning of relief to help seal the victory for Molloy.