Concordia Baseball Sweeps USciences on Senior Day; Earns Come-From-Behind Walk-Off Victory in Game Two

Concordia Baseball Sweeps USciences on Senior Day; Earns Come-From-Behind Walk-Off Victory in Game Two

BRONXVILLE, N.Y. - The Concordia College baseball team hosted the University of the Sciences on Saturday afternoon in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) doubleheader. The Clippers would cap their conference schedule with a sweep over the Devils in dramatic fashion as Concordia took game one, 6-3, then followed with a 6-5 come-from-behind walk-off victory in eight innings in game two.

Prior to the start of game one seniors Thomas Burke (Huntington, N.Y.), German Dilone (Bronx, N.Y.), Doug Elser (Hopewell Jct., N.Y.), Vincent Fuoco (Yonkers, N.Y.), and Giorgio Palmiero (Carmel, N.Y.) were all honored for their hard work and dedication to the baseball program over their careers with the Clippers.

The first game saw Concordia score in their first at-bats as Dilone hit a two-run home run to left-center field, his second of the season to put the Clippers ahead 2-0. USciences would answer back in the top of the second inning with a solo home run to cut the deficit in half. In the third a two-out RBI double down the left field line for the Devils would knot the score at 2-2.

In the home half of the fourth Concordia freshman Eric Roubal (Patchogue, N.Y.) hit his first collegiate home run with a lead-off solo home run to left field as the Clippers were back on top, 3-2. Palmiero's two-RBI single up the middle in the sixth would give Concordia a three run lead as sophomore Stephen Nigro (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) scored later in the inning as the Clippers led 6-2. USciences was only able to score one more run as a solo home run in the eighth would not be enough as Concordia took the 6-3 victory.

Junior Dylan Lawrence (Queens, N.Y.) earned the win for the Clippers as he pitched 7.0 innings and allowed one earned run on 10 hits while striking out three batters for his second pitching victory of the season. Junior Peter Byrnes (Smithtown, N.Y.) finished the final 2.0 innings as he would allow one earned run on two hits and also struck out three batters.

Game two began with the Devils scoring a pair of runs in both the second and third innings as Concordia found themselves down 4-0 in the early going. With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Nigro would hit a two-run home run, his first of the season, to left-center field to cut the Clippers' deficit in half, 4-2. In the fifth Concordia would get to within a run after a sacrifice fly by freshman Ronmel Ocampo (Levittown, N.Y.) allowed sophomore Tyler Epple (Levittown, N.Y.) to score.

The Clippers would use the bottom of the sixth to take the lead as a sacrifice fly by Epple brought home Nigro and then Palmiero scored off a RBI single by junior Joseph Davide (West Hempstead, N.Y.) to give Concordia the 5-4 lead. USciences would send the game into extra innings as the visitors tied the score at 5-5 in the top of the seventh.

The top of the eighth saw no runs for the Devils as the Clippers led off the home half of the eighth with a walk by Nigro. With two outs and Nigro still on first base, Epple would come through with a double to right-center field as Nigro would score from first and give Concordia the 6-5 walk-off victory.

Burke pitched 3.1 innings for the Clippers in the no-decision as he allowed four earned runs on three hits while striking out two batters. Sophomore John Wall (Levittown, N.Y.) came in to pitch the last 4.2 innings as he earned his second win of the season after no allowing any earned runs on three hits and striking out two batters.

Concordia (9-28, 7-15 CACC) will close out their season on Tuesday with a non-conference home game against Queens (N.Y.) on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m. at Clipper Baseball Field.