Box Score
Winter Haven, Fla. - The Long Island University baseball team saw Army score four times in the top of the ninth inning to deal the Blackbirds a come-from-behind, 12-11 loss in the first of five spring break games in Florida. Centerfielder
Sam Sciamarelli drove in three runs for Long Island (1-8) while second baseman
Gerard Tingos and rightfielder
Drew Walsh each knocked in a pair.
The Black Knights (5-2) raced out to an early 5-0 lead and extended it to 7-3 only to see the Blackbirds battle from behind on the strength of a six-run sixth inning to forge ahead 9-7 entering the seventh. An Army solo shot in the seventh and an RBI single in the eight knotted things at 9-9 before Long Island plated a run in the home half of the eighth on a two-out single by Walsh to take a 10-9 lead.
After pitching two innings, freshman reliever
Evan Zerff allowed a lead-off single before Tingos moved in from second in an attempt to close things out. He was greeted with a double down the right field line off the bat of Ben Koenigsfield, miring him in a no-outs, runners-on-second-and-third jam. Tingos then induced a high chopper to first from Cody Murtle, but while the play netted an out, it also allowed the tying run to score.
J.T. Watkins followed with an RBI single to score the go-ahead run and Zach Price scorched a triple to the right-center field gap to bring home Watkins and give the Black Knights a 12-10 lead.
Army closer Kevin McKague came on but his third save of the season did not go smoothly. Shortstop
Greg DeSantis stroked a leadoff single and first baseman
Tito Marrero drew a walk, placing the tying runs on base with no outs. After
Julian Castro successfully sacrificed both runners into scoring position, Tingos lofted a fly ball single to short center field to scored DeSantis, pulling the Blackbirds within 12-11. But McKague dodged a bullet when Sciamarelli hit a long, loud flyout to center
Tyler Jones grounded out to end the threat.
Tingos took the loss in his first appearance on the hill this season. Blackbirds starter
Adam Sauter lasted just 3 1/3 innings, giving up six runs on seven hits and a walk. He struck out three. Joey Henshaw (2-1) earned the win in relief for Army.
After having a game with Central Michigan, originally scheduled for March 12 but then moved to after the Army contest, cancelled, the Blackbirds will continue what is now a five-game stretch in Florida with a game against Maryland-Baltimore County on Monday, March 15 at 11:00 a.m.