SMITHFIELD, R.I. – LIU baseball picked up its first Northeast Conference win of 2022 on Saturday, taking down Bryant, 6-4. With the victory, the Sharks improve to 13-9 overall and 1-1 in NEC action.
Jalen Wade took the ball to start the second game of the three-game stretch, and he performed superbly through the first two innings. Wade struck out two batters looking while forcing several popouts and groundouts to keep things scoreless into the third.
LIU would strike first in the top half of the third.
Giovanni Ciaccio walked and
Michael Edelman singled, bringing up
EJ Exposito for his second plate appearance of the day. Exposito grounded into a fielder's choice to score Edelman, but a throwing error would also allow Ciaccio to cross home plate, giving LIU the game's first advantage at 2-0. Exposito advanced to third on a wild pitch before
Luke Turner hit a sacrifice fly to center, increasing the lead to 3-0.
Bryant would respond with four runs of its own in the bottom half, taking a 4-3 lead. Wade was able to get out of a bases loaded jam on a strikeout to end the frame, keeping the Sharks deficit at one run.
In the bottom of the fifth, Wade left the bases loaded for
Nick DeSalvo, who came in relief. DeSalvo struck out Phinney to get out of another jam. It was still 4-3, Bryant, after five.
DeSalvo pitched brilliantly out of the bullpen, going two and a third without allowing a hit or earned run and striking out one batter. His last inning of work featured a one-two-three in the seventh with the score still knotted at 4-3.
The Sharks had two quick outs in the top of the eighth, but the offense would come to life. Turner singled to put the tying run on base.
Myles Proctor pinch ran for Turner, and
Connor Price would pinch hit for
Carlton Harper. Price would slap a double down the line in left to score Proctor, tying the ballgame at four runs apiece.
RJ Latkowski pinch ran for Price, which brought
Christopher Wasson to the plate, who drew a walk to put two on base.
Seth Surrett worked the count and tripled to deep center field to bring both runners around to score. LIU led 6-4 after the eighth inning.
Nick Torres finished the game on the mound for the Sharks, getting out of a jam in the bottom of the eighth without allowing a run. A strikeout from Torres sent the game to the ninth with LIU up, 6-4. Torres shut the door by striking out one batter and forcing two flyouts to secure the victory, 6-4. DeSalvo was credited with the win, his second of the year, and Allegretti earned the loss for Bryant.
Up next, the Sharks close out the series against Bryant on Sunday, March 27 at 1:00 p.m.
