Larkin Tallies 200th Career Hit; No. 1 Molloy Baseball Tops No. 3 Mercy To Advance To ECC Final

Recap courtesy of Molloy University Sports Information NIAGARA FALLS, NY – The top-seeded Molloy baseball team halted a furious comeback from the third-seeded Mavericks of Mercy University and would go on to triumph, 5-4, Friday afternoon at Sal Maglie Stadium. The Lions improve to 31-17, while the Mavericks move to 29-23. BOX SCORE With three hits in today's game, graduate student Aidan Larkin became the 12th Lion in program history to record 200 career hits and the first member of the cardinal and white to do it in three seasons. How it Happened The first two innings served as a feeling out period neither team was able to muster a run. After junior Sean Welsh reached on an error to begin the top of the third, redshirt senior Matthew Gonchar doubled to put two runners in scoring position with no out on the board. Senior Nicholas Dagnello stepped to the plate and drove in Welsh with a sacrifice fly to put Molloy on the board, 1-0. Mercy knotted the contest at one after a run scored following an error in the bottom of the fourth. The Lions reclaimed the lead, 2-1, in the top of the fifth when sophomore Charlie Imhof singled to center to plate Gonchar. Molloy added to its lead in the sixth after Larkin drove a sacrifice fly to center to bring home sophomore Joe Burriesci to add to its lead, 3-1. The cardinal and white tacked on two crucial insurance runs in the top of the ninth. With runners on second and third, junior Jack Coogan flared a single into right center field to extend the lead to four, 5-1. The Mavericks stormed back in the bottom of the ninth. With two outs, Mercy plated two following a double by Kolongi Goins to cut the deficit to two, 5-3. One batter later, Goins came around to score following an error getting Mercy within one, 5-4. Still with two outs, freshman Jayden Patel was called out of the bullpen to get the final out. After hitting the first batter to greet him, Patel induced a game-ending ground out to seal the win, 5-4, to advance the Lions to the final. Top Performances Larkin totaled three hits, one RBI, and one run scored. Coogan tallied three hits and drove in two while Imhof plated a run. On the mound, senior JC Kiss tossed 8.2 innings allowing two earned runs and striking out three to improve to 6-2 on the season. Patel picked up his fifth save of the campaign getting the games final out. Up Next The Lions await the winner of game five of the tournament between the third-seeded Mercy Mavericks and fourth-seeded Queens College Knights to determine the opponent in the 2025 ECC Championship Game. First pitch is scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m.  
Read More...