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by Michael Malaszczyk
Back to back.
The Molloy Lions won the East Coast Conference Championship for the second consecutive year after defeating Queens College in a double header on Saturday to improve to 36-12. Scroll down for a recap of each game against Queens.
The Lions had a slow start to the season dropping to 0-3, but would build some steam after ripping off a 10-game win streak, eventually propelling them to the ECC title.
Over the weekend, the NCAA selection committee announced the 56 teams that will vie for the 2022 NCAA DII Baseball Championship.
The No. 2 seeded Lions will face No. 7 Le Moyne (26-23) Thursday, May 19, at 3:30 p.m. The location to be announced later. Click here for details.
Game 1 recap
Queens came out swinging in the top of the first inning, scoring three runs (courtesy of an RBI single by Andrew Smith and a two-run triple by Juan De la Rosa). Molloy had all the answers for this aggressive start, scoring three runs of their own thanks to sophomore Garrett Scavelli’s three-run home run. The two teams held each other down in the second inning, only for Queens’ third baseman Lou Antos to hit a home run in the third, bringing the score to 4-3.
Molloy once again answered in the fourth, with Peter Theodorellis hitting a single to send sophomore Chris Einemann home, making the score 4-4. Queens got back in the fifth, with Matt Filip’s RBI single.
The two teams once again held each other down until the eighth inning, when Molloy senior Patrick Hoffman hit an RBI single.
Two batters later, sophomore Anthony Manisero hit a single that sent Chris Peralta home and put Molloy ahead at 6-5. Though Queens tried valiantly in the last inning, even getting a man to second base, Molloy’s defense held on, and Molloy won.
Brian Morrisey was outstanding in relief. The Stony Brook transfer came on in the 3rd inning and pitched the final 7 innings, allowing just 1 run without issuing a free pass to notch the win.
Game 2 recap
Molloy burst out of the gates with an RBI double courtesy of senior Thomas Brady; David Franchi scored Brady on a sac fly, bringing the game to 2-0 Molloy.
After a lengthy rain delay, Queens answered with three runs in the bottom of the third, before Theodorellis reached on a fielder’s choice scoring Einemann and evening up the score.
In the fourth inning, Queens scored 3 runs, giving them a 6-3 lead. Molloy responded aggressively in the fifth, scoring four runs, courtesy of Franchi, Hoffman, and Theodorellis; all three hit RBI singles and gave Molloy a 7-6 lead.
Queens scored another three runs in the fifth, bringing them to a 10-7 lead over Molloy.
Garrett Scavelli narrowed that lead to 10-8 with a solo home run — his second in as many games.
Molloy got back on top in the seventh, scoring three runs in the seventh and bringing the game to 11-10 overall.
Theodorellis hit an RBI single and scored on an error, while Overturn hit an RBI double. Scavelli hit an RBI double in the ninth, bringing the overall score to 12-10. Theodorellis closed the door with four shutout innings and 7 strikeouts. It was his first time pitching since April 20.
Due to his performance both at the plate and on the mound, Theodorellis was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
