Box Score
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (March 18, 2010) –  An excellent outing by senior hurler Bobby Kay (Stony Brook, N.Y.) combined with timely hitting, led the Pioneers past the St. Thomas Aquinas Spartans, 2-1, Thursday afternoon in East Coast Conference baseball action.

The Pioneers improve to 3-5-1 overall and 1-0 in the ECC, while STAC drops to 3-8 and 0-1 in ECC action. 

Kay held the Spartans scoreless through seven innings, helped by errorless defense b y the Pioneers including a spectacular catch by senior right fielder Mike Callaghan (East Meadow, N.Y.), who laid out in a fully-extended dive and snagged a low liner sinking down the right field line.

 Sophomore designated hitter Eddie Bartley (Bethpage, N.Y.) led off the bottom of the fifth with a single through the left side. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman third baseman Kevin Chenicek (Levittown, N.Y.) as the Spartan third baseman charged too hard, overran the ball, then made an errant throw to second that let Bartley advance safely. After a strikeout,freshman second baseman Casey McKay (North Massapequa, N.Y.) poked a single through the left side to load the bases. Freshman center fielder Zach Graczyk (Carmel, N.Y.) dropped a single into right field that scored Bartley for a 1-0 Pioneer lead. Senior shortstop Bryan Bonin (Commack, N.Y.) followed with a sacrifice fly to deep right field that plated Chenicek and made it 2-0 in favor of C.W. Post.

St. Thomas Aquinas scratched out a run in the eighthy, as Fernando Peralta stroked a one-out double to left center. Brian Saldana (Deer Park, N.Y.) came on in relief of Kay, and after Peralta stole second, induced a groundout to the right side by pinch hitter Matt Marotta. The run scored, but with two outs, Saldana got Frank Salerno to ground out to shortstop to end the inning.

The Spartans made things interesting again in the ninth, as Andrew Ahn grounded out to start the inning, but Matt Smith roped a full-count double into left center, and advanced to third on a passed ball. After a walk to Dave Schwartz, senior Pete Budkevics (Deer Park, N.Y.) came in to relieve Saldana and try to get the save. The senior righty set down George Wargo swinging, and got Kevin Ryan to fly out to center field to seal the victory for the Pioneers.

Kay worked 7.1 innings earning the win, giving up one run on three hits, striking out five and walking one. Saldana worked one inning in relief, giving up one hit and one walk, and Budkevics earned the save with two-thirds on an inning of no-run, no-hit ball, striking out one batter. 

Offensively, Graczyk and freshman Anthony Corona (Carmel, N.Y.) each had two hits to lead the Pioneers. 

STAC hurler Mike Aviles took the loss with 7.0 innings of work, giving up two runs on seven hits.  He struck out three and walked one. Joe Klemowitz threw an inning of one-hit relief. 

C.W. Post will play a 3:30 game tomorrow, with STAC as the home team, at Diamond Nation in Flemington, N.J.