GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (April 23, 2008) – The baseball team defeated East Coast Conference rival Adelphi University, 6-5, on Wednesday afternoon at Bonomo Stadium in Garden City, N.Y.

The win pushes the Pioneers over the .500 mark for the first time this season, as they climb to 21-20 overall and 12-7 in the ECC. The Panthers drop to 18-21, and 9-11 in the ECC.

The Pioneers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first, when senior designated hitter Mike Sylvester (Farmingdale, N.Y.) and sophomore shortstop Bryan Bonin (Commack, N.Y.) led off the game with back-to-back singles. A Kyle Walker (Wantagh, N.Y.) sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, and Brian Anderson's (Nesconset, N.Y.) RBI groundout gave C.W. Post a 1-0 edge. 

Adelphi tied the game in the third on an RBI groundout.

C.W. Post took the lead again with a run in the fourth, with an RBI coming off the bat of Tim Sylvester (Farmingdale, N.Y.), and increased their lead with three-runs in the fifth. Bonin led off with a single and advanced to second on a throwing error. Walker sacrificed him to third, and he scored on Anderson's single to left center. Mike Callaghan (East Meadow) followed with another single, and Bruce Testa (Glen Cove, N.Y.) walked, loading the bases for Brian Chenicek (Levittown, N.Y.) who came through with a single up the middle, plating two runs.

An Adelphi three-run seventh pulled the score to 5-4, but another insurance run in the eighth capped by an RBI triple from Mike Sylvester pushed the Pioneer lead back to two.

Adelphi scored one more run in their half of the eighth, and had runners on first and second, but Bobby Kay (Stony Brook, N.Y.) induced an inning ending groundout to keep the lead. A scoreless ninth by Kay earned him the save and gave the Pioneers the win.

Brian Saldana (Deer Park, N.Y.) picked up the win with 6.2 innings of nine-hit ball, giving up four runs (three earned), with three strikeouts. He improved to 3-5 with the victory.

Mike Sylvester, Bonin, Walker, Callaghan, and Chenicek each had two hits for the Pioneers, and got two-RBI efforts from Anderson and Chenicek.

Head coach Pete Timmes and the Pioneers travel to Mercy tomorrow for a 3:30 p.m. East Coast Conference game.