David Otero Sports Editor
The LIU Post baseball team faced Mercy College four times in a three-day span from April 5-7 and managed to win the first two games, but dropped the final two of the set.
The Pioneers (11-13) won the first game of the set on the road in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. by a final score of 2-1.
The following day, the Pioneers headed home for a double- header against the Mavericks (6-21-1). In the first contest of the double-dip, the Pioneers shut out Mercy with a 7-0 win led behind effort of redshirt sophomore pitcher Mike Eckerle. He tossed a complete game, striking out 13 batters in seven innings of work. For the season, Eckerle has been dominant as he owns a 0.79 ERA in 34 innings of work. The bats for the Pioneers were sizzling as senior shortstop Kevin Chenicek went 2-4 with 3 RBI’s and junior centerfielder Rich Maccarone hit a
two-run triple. Although the Pioneers had their way in the first two games, they were unable to duplicate the end result in the final two games. In the second half of the double- header, a first inning run by the Mavericks was the only score of the entire contest. It was a pitcher’s duel as Mercy’s freshman pitcher Christian Hock threw seven scoreless frames, allowing only six hits and no walks. Pioneers’ freshman pitcher Chris Anderson gave up one run while scattering five hits.
For the third consecutive day, the two teams went head to head. The Pioneers went back to Dobbs Ferry and once again were unable to find any offense as they lost 2-1. The Pioneers got off to a good start early on as senior catcher Anthony Corona hit a solo homerun in the second inning, giving the LIU Post a 1-0 advantage. However, that proved to be the only run the Pio- neers scored.
The Pioneers have an 11-13 overall record this season and are 4-4 in East Coast Conference play. They next are in action on Friday, April 12 when they square off against Molloy College (14-19) on the road with first pitch scheduled for 3:30 p.m. The Pioneers have the same four-game set against Molloy as they did against Mercy with a game on the road, a double- header at home, and then another game at Molloy to conclude the series in a span of three days.
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