STEWART TOSSES EIGHT STRONG AS BASEBALL SPLITS DOUBLEHEADER WITH CONCORDIA; 5-0, 8-2

Box Score vs. Concordia (Game One) - April 18, 2009

Box Score vs. Concordia (Game Two) - April 18, 2009

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Apr. 18, 2009) – Sophomore right-hander Steven Stewart (Levittown, N.Y.) threw eight innings of shutout ball in the opening game of a twin bill to lead the Molloy College baseball team by East Coast Conference nemesis Concordia College by a 5-0 score on Saturday afternoon at Lions’ Field in Rockville Centre, N.Y. But, in the nightcap, the Clippers pulled away with an 8-2 victory. Stewart yielded just six hits and three walks, while striking out three in his third win of the season.

Game One – Molloy 5, Concordia 0
Junior catcher Brian Benes (Omaha, Neb.) started up the scoring for Molloy in the bottom of the second. He hit into an RBI groundout, which sent home sophomore infielder Joseph Menendez (Washington Heights, N.Y.). Three innings later, Benes notched another RBI with a bases loaded walk with one away. Freshman outfielder Frank Marchisello (Staten Island, N.Y.) registered a two-RBI double to left. The Lions ended the scoring in Bottom-8 on an RBI single by freshman outfielder Carmine Pellechia (Staten Island, N.Y.).

Clippers’ (19-18-1, 10-6 ECC) junior hurler Tommy Paradise (Mahopac, N.Y.) got the defeat in the contest. He allowed six hits, four runs (three earned) and four walks, while striking out six in 7.0 innings of work. Freshman Daniel Pelan (East Meadow, N.Y.) came in relief of Stewart in the top of the ninth for the Lions (19-14, 10-5 ECC), and threw a scoreless inning. He gave up just one hit and struck out one in the stanza.

Game Two – Concordia 8, Molloy 2
Following two scoreless innings, Concordia got all the run support it needed over the next three innings. During the top of the third, junior shortstop Donnie Roth (Congers, N.Y.) and sophomore shortstop/second baseman Kenny Espinal (Bronx, N.Y.) each got an RBI single. The next inning, the Clippers pushed across four runs, which gave them a 6-0 lead. Roth slapped a two-RBI single to right-center field. Junior outfielder Anthony Carnacchio (Rockaway, N.Y.) was issued a bases-loaded walk.

Freshman catcher Christopher Motta (Bronx, N.Y.) posted an RBI groundout to the effort. In Top-5, freshman first baseman/third baseman Vincent Ferraro (Mount Kisco, N.Y.) extended the margin to seven with an RBI single to left, which plated sophomore second baseman/shortstop Mike Sciacchitano (Wappinger, N.Y.).

Molloy freshman pitcher Justin Jorgensen (Bethpage, N.Y.) was hit with the loss after pitching 4.1 innings of seven-hit, seven-run, four-strikeout, two-walk ball. Senior hurler Jose Aquino (Bronx, N.Y.) claimed his fifth decision for Concordia. He gave up five walks, three hits and one run, while fanning three in five innings pitched.

Head Coach Joe Fucarino and the Lions return to the field tomorrow when they close out a three-game series against the Clippers in Bronxville, N.Y. First pitch is scheduled for noon.