Late Rally Not Enough for Baseball at Dowling
Box Score OAKDALE, N.Y. (Mar. 23, 2012) – The Mercy College baseball team nearly rallied late to cut the deficit to one run in the eighth inning against Dowling College on Friday afternoon but fell just short of the Golden Lions, losing 6-3.
Dowling improves to 11-7 overall and is 1-0 in ECC play, while Mercy drops to 2-14 (0-1).
It was a pitcher's dual through the first three innings as sophomore Joseph O'Neill (Long Beach, N.Y.) and freshman Tyler Hardison (Shirley, N.Y.) gave up just one hit between them heading into the bottom of the third. O'Neill hit a rough patch as Dowling runners reached first and third with one out and freshman shortstop Kyle DeMeo (Franklin Square, N.Y.) hit a sacrifice fly to score a run but the other runner was caught advancing to second for the double play, getting Mercy out of the inning.
Dowling tacked another two runs on in the fourth inning as junior right fielder Jospeh Candela (East Quoge, N.Y.) singled sophomore second baseman Andrew Abreu (Lake Grove, N.Y.) in after a leadoff double, then stole second, advanced to third on a balk and scored on a single by sophomore left fielder Rob Veltre (Massapequa Park, N.Y.).
O'Neill loaded the bases in the fifth before he was relieved by junior Chris Mignoli (Floral Park, N.Y.), who allowed only one run to score, on an Abreu sacrifice fly. Down 4-0, Mercy nearly responded in the top of the sixth with two men on and one out, but consecutive fly outs left the Mavericks still waiting for their first run.
They finally picked it up and more in the top of the eighth inning, loading the bases following a leadoff walk by freshman catcher Sal Palumbo (Medford, N.Y.) and scoring their first on a wild pitch. Sophomore third baseman Ken Post (Closter, N.J.) then stepped up to drive another in with a single and junior centerfielder Nick Papas (Castleton, N.Y.) brought a third across the plate with a sac fly to cut the deficit to one.
Dowling was not about to cough the lead up, however, and struck back in the bottom of the frame. After junior Ray Thaisz (Staten Island, N.Y.) coaxed two quick pop ups from the Golden Lions, he ran into some trouble as Veltre singled and was doubled in by junior designated hitter Sean Craig (Rocky Point, N.Y.), who later scored on a hit by pitch after a pair of walks had loaded the bases. Mercy head coach Bob Greiner called on senior Walter Kowalczyk (Valhalla, N.Y.) to get the Mavericks out of the inning, and he did just that with the next batter lining out to first.
Down three with one final chance to get back into the game in the top of the ninth, Mercy came close as freshman outfielder Giovanni Lasalandra (Warwick, N.Y.) pinch hit with a single and sophomore first baseman Jesus Jaile (Hartsdale, N.Y.) pinch hit with another to put two men on base with one out, but the Mavericks were unable to get anything else going and fell, 6-3.
Freshman second baseman Vinny Orlando (East Meadow, N.Y.) led the Mavericks with a 1-4 day at the plate with a walk and a run, while Post also went 1-4 with an RBI and Palumbo was 0-1 with two walks and a run.
Craig and sophomore third baseman Ian Schneider (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) paced the Golden Lions with identical 2-4 appearances at the plate with a run and RBI each. Candela and Veltre each recorded a hit, run and RBI, and freshman centerfielder Johnathon Cruz (Levittown, N.Y.) was 0-2 with a walk, two runs and an RBI. Cruz, Schneider and Veltre all stole a base as well.
O'Neill took the loss for Mercy after allowing four earned runs on five hits and a trio of walks in 4 2/3 innings pitched. Sophomore Brian McNamara (Brewster, N.Y.) and freshman Vincent Luppino (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.) each tossed a scoreless frame as well.
Hardison gave up just one hit while walking three and striking out two over 6 innings and freshman Michael Wood (Rocky Point, N.Y.) added another scoreless frame with two hits allowed and a strikeout.
Greiner and the Mavericks will host Molloy College (7-12, 0-0) tomorrow, Saturday, March 23 for an ECC doubleheader. The first game is scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m. with the second to follow at 3:00 p.m.
