Box Score
Brookville, N.Y. - The Adelphi University baseball team fell in non-league action at LIU Post after a Angel Pimental walk-off singel in the bottom of the ninth gave the Pioneers a 7-6 win on Wednesday. The Panthers now stand at 17-17-1 overall while LIU Post improves to 13-17 on the season.
The Panthers built a six-run lead after three innings, but a four-run sixth brought the Pioneers within a run. The hosts tied in up in the eighth, but an error and an intentional walk with two outs in the ninth set the stage for Pimental to deliver the game-winning hit in walk-off fashion.
Brandon Stahl paced Adelphi with a 3-5 day from the leadoff spot, while
Nick Zito,
Richard Mejia and
Kevin Hutzel each went 2-4. Mejia drove in three runs, tripled and scored twice, and Hutzel doubled to go with two RBI.
John Bivas started on the mound and went three scoreless innings in the collective staff effort that saw six Adelphi pitchers take the hill.
Vincent Caputo was tagged with the loss after starting the ninth inning, although a two-out error rendered the deciding run unearned.
For LIU Post, Pimental 3-4 with a triple and two runs scored to cap his heroic showing. Keith Herring led all batter with four hits, including a triple and a three-run homer in the sixth to make it a 6-5 game. Brandon Kruel earned the win in relief, throwing six innings of scoreless four-hit baseball to bail out starting pitcher Rafael Martinez, who allowed six runs on eight hits in three frames.
Adelphi pounced early and tacked on four runs in the top of the first thanks to a pair of extra-base hits by Mejia and Hutzel. Stahl and
Ray Triano knocked back-to-back singlese to start the stanza, and
Anthony Zarrella drew a walk to load the bases. With one away, Mejia blasted a three-run triple to right center and scored on Hutzel's double for an early 4-0 lead.
The Panthers added two more in the third on four straight one-out singles. Zito and Mejia ripped base knocks to put runners on the corners, Hutzels liner to right center plated Zito and
Donato Signore made it four in a row to stretch the lead to 6-0.
LIU Post got on the board in the fifth with a trio of singles, and a four-run effort the following inning shrunk Adelphi's lead to one. Two walks and a single loaded the bases with one away, and a sacrifice fly brought the score to 6-2 with two down. Herring then swatted a three-run blast to left field and suddening a six-run Panther lead was reduced to 6-5.
Chris Pabisch came on in relief for Adelphi in the seventh and sat the Pioneers down in order, but a leadoff triple and ensuing base hit in the eighth tied the game a 6-6.
The Panthers struggled to churn out any offense in the late going and sent the minimum to the plate in the seventh, eighth and ninth. Hoping for extra innings, Caputo took the ball for the bottom of the ninth and recorded two quick outs. However, an infield error extended the frame and spurred an intentional walk to occupy an open first base. Pimental would make in hurt with a single to left field that brought in the winning run and gave LIU Post the 7-6 walkoff victory.
Adelphi hits the road on Saturday for the first two games of a Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division weekend at American International College. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.
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