Baseball Coasts To 11-5 Over Mercy In ECC Championship Opener, 11-5
BROOKHAVEN, N.Y. (May 6, 2010) – The C.W. Post baseball team found itself down early, but put up two big innings and finished off Mercy College, 11-5, in the first round of the 2010 East Coast Conference Baseball Championships Thursday afternoon at the Brookhaven Athletic Complex.
The Pioneers improve to 29-14-1, while Mercy drops to 18-27.
Mercy held the Pioneers scoreless for the first three innings, twice getting C.W. Post to ground out into inning-ending double plays.
In the top of the fourth, Mercy took a 2-0 lead as Justin Muscarella tripled to right center to drive in both runs.
However, the Pioneers put together a five run inning of their own, starting with a
Mike Callaghan (East Meadow, N.Y.) single to right field. Freshman first baseman
Anthony Corona (Carmel, N.Y.) followed with a double to right center, scoring Callaghan. Senior catcher
Brian Anderson (Nesconset, N.Y.) dropped down a bunt single to the pitcher, and sophomore
Nick Compito (Syosset, N.Y.) followed with a single thought the left side hole to drive in the tying run.
A sacrifice bunt advanced both runners to second and third. An infield error loaded the bases, and Anderson scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. Freshman centerfielder
Zack Graczyk (Carmel, N.Y.) singled in another run, and senior shortstop
Bryan Bonin (Commack, N.Y.) hit a sacrifice fly RBI to make the score 5-2.
The Pioneers tacked on two runs in the sixth as Bonin singled in another RBI and Callaghan hit a groundout RBI, giving the Pioneers a 7-2 lead.
The Mavericks mounted a comeback with a three-run seventh, captializezd by RBI's from Andre Bock, Matt Walsh and Greg Lauricella, pulling the score to just 7-5.
But senior pitcher
Bobby Kay (Stony Brook, N.Y.) came on in relief of starter
Kevin Chenicek (Levittown, N.Y) and shut down the threat with a groundout and a strike out looking.
The Pioneers added four runs in the eighth, highlighted by a two-run triple to right center by Callaghan, and the home team rolled to the 11-5 victory.
Chenicek tossed 6.1 innings, scattering seven hits and giving up five runs (four earned), along with two walks and five strikeouts, as he improved to 4-3 on the year. Kay earned his second save of the season as he threw 2.2 scoreless innings allowing just one hit.
Compito led the Pioneers with a 4-for-5 day at the plate, scoring a run and driving in another. Graczyk went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, and Callaghan also had a big day with two hits, two runs scored and three RBI. Anderson's 2-for-5 day rounded out the offensive effort for the Pioneers.
Keith Kreig took the loss for Mercy with 3.1 innings pitched, giving up four runs on seven hits.
The Pioneers advance to the second round of the ECC tournament, taking on second seeded Molloy, a 6-0 winner over St. Thomas Aquinas, tomorrow at noon at the Brookhaven Sports Complex.