NORWICH, Conn. – The LIU baseball team scored nine runs in the top of the ninth inning, but couldn't keep pace with Bryant's hitting Thursday, falling in the first game of the Northeast Conference tournament, 17-13.
 
The No. 4 seeded Sharks will now move to the elimination bracket. They'll play the loser of the Sacred Heart/CCSU game, Friday, May 28 at 10 a.m.
 
LIU got on the board first, taking a 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Senior Andy Camilo led off with a walk, and Brian O'Boyle had a single. With two out, sophomore EJ Exposito brought them both home with his blast over the center field fence. The long bomb gave the Sharks a 3-0 advantage.
 
Bryant would close the gap in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs on a long double to make it 3-2. In the bottom of the fourth, the Bulldogs scored two more runs, to tie the game and take the lead, 4-3.
 
LIU would tie it up again in the top of the sixth, when senior Anthony Warneke had a double, and he scored on an RBI double from Giovanni Ciaccio, 4-4.
 
But Bryant blew the game open in the bottom of the sixth and seventh. The Bulldogs would score seven runs on six hits in the sixth, and six more run on five hits and an error to take a 17-4 lead after seven.
 
The Sharks weren't done battling, however. LIU put up a fight in the ninth. Myles Proctor and Andy Camilo both walked, and with one out, Connor Price doubled to left center field to score them both. The Sharks then proceeded to score seven more runs with two outs. Senior Cade Biddle had an RBI triple, then Exposito reached on an error, and Biddle scored. Warneke would single to left field to bring in another run, and he came home on senior Christopher Wasson's double. Proctor would walk again, and both runners came home when senior Davyn Adamscheck hit a home run over the right field fence. The Sharks had closed the gap to 17-13, and Bryant needed three pitchers to get the final out. But the Bulldogs did get the final strikeout, ending the game and clinching their spot in the winner's bracket.
 
Senior Joshua Loeschorn had the start on the mount for LIU, while senior Josh Gainer closed the game holding Bryant scoreless in the final 1.2 innings. Nick Torres had the loss for LIU.
 
Up next, LIU takes part in the first elimination game of the tournament. The Sharks have to win to advance, and will play Friday, May 28 at 10 a.m.