Box Score

BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (May 7, 2008) - The Pioneers started off the first round of the East Coast Conference Baseball tournament on a tear, pounding out eight runs on nine hits in the first two innings, as they rolled to a 10-6 victory over the Molloy College Lions on Wednesday afternoon in Brookville, N.Y.

The win improves the Pioneers to 26-25, as the Lions drop to 27-21.

With one out in the bottom of the first, the Pioneers ripped off four straight hits by sophomore shortstop Bryan Bonin (Commack, N.Y.), junior second baseman Kyle Walker #(Wantagh, N.Y.), junior catcher Brian Anderson (Nesconset, N.Y.) and junior first baseman Anthony Montesano (Bellmore, N.Y.), giving the Pioneers a 1-0 edge and loaded bases. A fielding error by the Molloy shortstop allowed another two runs to score, and an RBI groundout gave the Pioneers a 4-0 edge. A Bruce Testa (Glen Cove, N.Y.) RBI single rounded out the scoring in the first, giving the Pioneers a 5-0 edge.

The Pioneers continued their hot hitting in the second, as senior designated player Mike Sylvester (Farmingdale, N.Y.) and Bonin hit back to back doubles, putting runners on second and third. Walker hit an RBI groundout to second base, and Anderson singled in another run, putting the Pioneers up 7-0. Senior left fielder Brian Chenicek's (Levittown, N.Y.) RBI single scored another run for an eight run Pioneer lead after two innings of play. 

The Lions got a run back in the fourth, and another in the sixth, but the Pioneers responded for another two run in the bottom of the sixth, courtesy of two Molloy errors.

Another Molloy run in the seventh still saw the Pioneers with a comfortable lead, 10-3. However, Molloy rallied in the ninth for three runs  courtesy of Christopher Irwin's 3-run double to left center, but Andrew Scavuzzo's line out to Chenicek in left field ended the game. 

Junior pitcher Bobby Kay (Stony Brook, N.Y.) gave up only one run on three hits through five innings of work, and only six hits total in 6.2 innings. Brian Saldana (Deer Park, N.Y.) threw 2.1 solid innings of relief, allowing only three hits. 

Offensively for C.W. Post, Sylvester, Bonin, Walker, Anderson, Montesano, and Testa each had two hits and two RBI in the win.

The Pioneers advance to the quarterfinals of the ECC Tournament at Dowling College, where they will face top-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas at 3 p.mm. on Friday, May 9.