OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. (Apr. 3, 2011) – Senior Jerry Smith (Nesconset, N.Y.) scored the game-winning run to give NYIT a 2-1 victory over Stony Brook in game one of Sunday doubleheader at President’s Field. Smith was driven in with a base-hit from sophomore Sebastian Grazziani (Whitestone, N.Y.).

 

The Bears were the first to score in the bottom of the first inning as senior Effrey Valdez (Flushing, N.Y.) was plated on a Dan Lackner (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) double. It was his third of the weekend and Valdez got on with a double of his own. The Bears defense and pitching, led by rookie RHP John Duggan (Belle Harbor, N.Y.), held off the Seawolves until the fifth inning Joshua Mason even the score 1-1. Mason reached on a Bears’ fielding error and then scored on a bases loaded walk. The next two bottom sides were held scoreless for NYIT until the seventh. Smith singled up the middle to get on base and then advanced to third as Steve McNamara (Levittown, N.Y.) also had a base hit. After a pitching change for Stony Brook, Grazziani singled through the left side to bring home the game-winning run.

 

The win was awarded to sophomore reliever Ryan Dillabough (Whitby, Ontario, Canada). He tossed 1.2 innings and struck out three of five batters faced. He surrendered just one hit. Starter Duggan went 5.1 innings with five hits and one unearned run. He walked three and struck out one.

 

The loss was dealt to Willie Carmona, who faced just one batter in the bottom of the seventh and gave up the game-winning hit. Both runs were credited to starter Frankie Vanderka.

 

The second game started slow as Stony Brook took a 2-1 lead by the end of the second inning. The Bears broke onto the scoreboard in the second inning as Smith scored his second run of the day on another Grazziani base hit. Smith got on with a single through the right side. After that the game developed into a defensive battle as both teams were scoreless for four straight innings.

 

Then in the seventh, the Seawolves made it a 3-1 game and then rallied for seven runs in the eighth inning to make the game unreachable for the Bears. The inning was highlighted by a two-out grand slam from Chad Marshall. The Bears answered with a run in the bottom half and then another run in the ninth, but that was the closest they would get. Grazziani scored in the eighth off a single to left centerfield from senior catcher George Carroll (Bayside, N.Y.). In the ninth, Ali Rodriguez (Yorktown, Va.) was plated as Eric Cos (Coral Gables, Fla.) grounded out.

 

Brandon McNitt got the win after 7.0 innings of work in which he gave up one run on seven hits. The save was awarded to Jasvir Rakkar, who closed the game with 2.0 innings. He surrendered two runs on five hits and struck out two.

 

The loss was dealt to sophomore Tom Cardona (Bronx, N.Y.), who tossed 7.1 innings and gave up five runs on nine hits. He struck out three. In relief, the other five runs were charged to sophomore Robert Loftus (Massapequa Park, N.Y.). Sophomore Jose Checo (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) closed out the game with 1.2 innings of shutout relief.

 

The Bears, who ended the weekend 4-14, return to action on Tuesday, April 5 against the Pride of Hofstra. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at President’s Field.