STARTING PITCHING ANCHORS BASEBALL TO SWEEP OF MERCY; 2-1, 14-2

Box Score vs. Mercy (Game One) - April 25, 2009

Box Score vs. Mercy (Game Two) - April 25, 2009

DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Apr. 25, 2009) – On Saturday, sophomore hurler Steven Stewart (Levittown, N.Y.) and freshman pitcher Justin Jorgensen (Bethpage, N.Y.) combined to throw 13.0 innings of seven-hit, seven-walk and one-run ball to push the Molloy College baseball team to a pair of wins versus East Coast Conference foe Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. The duo also worked together to strike out 11 batters, while recording an earned run average of 0.69.

Game One – Molloy 2, Mercy 1
After six scoreless innings, the Lions notched a 1-0 lead in the top of the seventh on an RBI double by freshman outfielder Carmine Pellechia (Staten Island, N.Y.). Senior infielder Patrick Walsh (Bellerose, N.Y.), who was hit with a pitch at the start of the stanza, came around from second to score on the hit. One inning later, Molloy (22-15, 13-6 ECC) registered an insurance run to make the score 2-0 in its favor. Senior first baseman Keith Kenny (Hicksville, N.Y.) took a one-out offering down the right-field line for an RBI double.

Mercy placed their first run on the board in Bottom-8 with a bases loaded walk to senior outfielder/pitcher Chris Pannullo (Dix Hills, N.Y.). Junior infielder Justin Muscarella (Plainedge, N.Y.) came down 90 feet to score. But, that was the only run the Mavericks (8-20, 2-15 ECC) scored the rest of the way. Stewart tossed eight innings of six-walk, four-hit, one-run ball. He also fanned seven for the Lions. Sophomore pitcher Matt Walsh (Staten Island, N.Y.) allowed seven hits, five walks and two runs in the defeat for Mercy.

Game Two – Molloy 14, Mercy 2
During the latter contest, Molloy jumped out of the gate quick with a two-spot in the top of the first inning. Junior outfielder T.J. Greig (Staten Island, N.Y.) ripped an RBI double to center, while sophomore outfielder Robert LaRusso (Bayside, N.Y.) slapped an RBI single to left field. The Lions notched another two runs in Top-4 to make the score 4-0. Sophomore infielder Joseph Menendez (Washington Heights, N.Y.) was responsible during the stanza as he drove in Pellechia with an RBI single.

In its half of the sixth, Molloy tacked on another run to go ahead by five. Pellechia registered his second RBI of the day on a single to score Greig. Mercy got on the board for the first time in the bottom of the sixth to cut the deficit to three at 5-2. Junior catcher Marc Dern (Valley Stream, N.Y.) accounted for one of the scoring plays after his RBI single. The Lions put the contest out of reach in Top-7 with a four-run effort. LaRusso recorded three of the runs with a home run to left-center field.

Jorgensen improved to 6-3 on the year after throwing five innings of scoreless ball. He gave up three hits and one walk in the process, while striking out four. Junior southpaw Steve Merslich (Flushing, N.Y.) took the defeat to fall to 0-4. He allowed eight hits, five runs (three earned) and four walks in 5.1 innings of work.

Head Coach Joe Fucarino and his squad return to the diamond tomorrow when Molloy wraps up a three-game set with Mercy at Lions’ Field in Rockville Centre, N.Y. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. If you are unable to make it to the game, you can follow all of the action via Live Stats at http://livestats.prestosports.com/molloy.