Baseball Wins ECC Championship, Defeats Molloy 6-5 in 11-Inning Thriller
Box Score Game One
Box Score Game Two
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (May 8, 2010) – The C.W. Post baseball team found itself down 5-2 in the eighth inning of the if-necessary game in the East Coast Conference championships, but put together a three-run inning to tie the game, then won on senior shortstop Bryan Bonin's (Commack, N.Y.) walk-off single in the 11th inning, defeating Molloy 6-5 for the Pioneers' second ECC Championship title in the past three years. (Listen to audio of game-winning hit) (Postgame interviews)
Senior outfielder Mike Callaghan (East Meadow, N.Y.) was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player following the game.
The Pioneers improved to 31-15-1, tying for the most wins in school history with the 1981 squad, which went 31-8.
Molloy forced the if-necessary game with a 4-2 victory in the first game, handing senior starting pitcher Bobby Kay (Stony Brook, N.Y.) the hard-luck loss as he gave up only three runs (two earned) but the Pioneers could not muster much offense as they were held to only two runs.
C.W. Post loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth and looked to be poised for a comeback, but Matthew Metz finished what he started as he induced a popup to second base to end the threat and earn the complete-game victory.
Game two started off with scoring right out of the gate, with Molloy putting a run on the baord against sophomore starting pitcher Glen Hudson (Sayville, N.Y.), who was making his first start all year, as Carmine Pellechia (Staten Island, N.Y.) walked and advanced to second on a balk, then scored on a T.J. Greig (Staten Island, N.Y.) RBI single up the middle.
The Pioneers scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning to take the lead, as Bonin stroked a one-out double. Freshman catcher Anthony Corona (Carmel, N.Y.) walked, and senior first baseman Brian Anderson (Nesconset, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch, and with the bases loaded, sophomore designated hitter Nick Compito (Syosset, N.Y.) doubled down the right field line, scoring Corona and Bonin.
Molloy tied the score in the third as Hudson hit back-to-back batters. A double steal and an RBI groundout made the score 2-2.
The Lions took the lead in the sixth as Greig led off with a single up the middle. Robert LaRusso hit a long shot to the warning track in left center field, but centerfielder Zack Graczyk (Carmel, N.Y.) could not hang on to the ball and Greig scored with LaRusso advancing to second. A walk and a sacrifice fly gave Molloy a 4-2 lead.
Pellechia continued to be a thorn in the Pioneers' side as he singled to left field and advanced all the way to third as the ball skipped past left fielder Kyle Dean (Southbury, Conn.), and Pellechia scored on Robert Inzerillo's single to right field.
The Pioneers went down in order in the sixth and seventh, but in the eighth inning they finally found a spark, as Dean and freshman second baseman Casey McKay (North Massapequa, N.Y.) ripped back-to-back singles to start off the inning. An infield groundout moved the runners into scoring position, and Bonin's RBI groundout made the score 5-3. Callaghan followed with a double down the right field line, scoring McKay to make it 5-4. Corona followed by dropping a single into center to score Callaghan with the tying run. Anderson would single to the shortstop and Compito drew a walk to load the bases as the Pioneers threatened to take the lead, but reliever Michael Mongiardo (Franklin Square, N.Y.) ended the threat with a groundout to third base.
Senior reliever Brian Saldana (Deer Park, N.Y.), who came on in relief of Hudson in the sixth, pitched three and a third innings of relief, allowing only one hit and one unearned run, as he shut the Lions down in the ninth, before giving way to Graczyk, who took the mound in the tenth. He got a 1-2-3 inning in the tenth and worked out of a jam in the 11th, as LaRusso was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, but the next batter hit a groundout to third baseman Kevin Chenicek (Levittown, N.Y.), and Anderson threw out LaRusso trying to take third on the play to end the inning.
The 11th would be the magic inning for the Pioneers, as Dean drew a one out walk, and McKay followed with a single to right field. With two outs, Bonin singled to right field and Dean was safe on the play at the plate to give the Pioneers the win and the ECC Championship title.
C.W. Post clinches a spot in the upcoming NCAA Division II East Regional, and will await the NCAA seeding announcement to find out when and where they will play next.