BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – The LIU baseball team capped its 2021 regular season at home Saturday, taking on Merrimack and falling, 5-3 on Senior Day. With the loss, LIU finishes the regular season 20-13 overall, and 18-12 in the Northeast Conference. LIU will take part in the championship tournament next weekend in Norwich, Conn.
 
The Sharks got on the board first Saturday. With one out, EJ Exposito had a double to left center field, and with two outs, senior Christopher Wasson doubled down the left field line to bring him home and put LIU up, 1-0.
 
But the Warriors tied it up in the top of the second inning, using two hits and an error to score one run, tying it up, 1-1.
 
Neither team would score again, until Merrimack added a run in the fifth, to take the lead for the first time, 2-1. The visitors would add three more runs in the top of the seventh to widen the lead to 5-1.
 
The Sharks added a run in the bottom of the seventh, on a sac fly from Exposito, and another in the bottom of the ninth on a sac fly from senior Cade Biddle, cutting the lead to 5-3. But the Warriors held on to get the last out, clinching the win, 5-3.
 
Senior Mike Lazos had the loss on the mound, giving up just one earned run in five innings. Senior Jackson Svete pitched well in relief, striking out all three batters he faced, while seniors Salvatore Ferro and Rob Griswold also held the Warriors scoreless.
 
Up next, the Sharks head north to take on the top teams in the league at the NEC Tournament, May 27-29. Championship headquarters are here.