Baseball Lets Lead Slip Away; Falls To St. Peter's, 7-6

(boxscore)

4/25/06 -- Long Island University let a late four-run lead slip away in a 7-6, extra inning loss at St. Peter’s on Monday evening in collegiate baseball action.

Freshman Anthony Amatucci (Toms River, N.J.) reached base four times and drove in a pair of runs for the Blackbirds. Fellow classmate Frank DiMasi (Staten Island, N.Y.) also had two RBI offensively.

LIU scored a run in the second inning to open the scoring on a groundout by DiMasi that plated senior Matt Martino (Staten Island, N.Y.). Amatucci gave the Blackbirds a three-run cushion in the sixth with a two-out, two run single that scored junior Robby Rowen (Rosendale, N.Y.) and senior Tim Doherty (Newark, Del.).

The Peacocks would cut their deficit to one in the bottom half of the inning, as first baseman Kevin Kallert hit a two-run home run off freshman starter Kenny Cedel (Staten Island, N.Y.). Cedel allowed only those two runs over six innings of work while walking four and striking out four.

Run scoring singles by second baseman Dan Pirillo (Marlboro, N.Y.) and shortstop Sean Durkin (Damascus, Md.) keyed a three-run eighth inning for LIU that upped the team’s advantage to 6-2. Pirillo and Durkin each ended with a pair of hits.

St. Peter’s was able to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth with four runs, three of which were unearned. Two walks and a hit by pitch with the bases loaded accounted for three of the runs. A sacrifice fly by Miguel Sosa drove in the Peacocks other run in the inning. With the bases still loaded and two men out, junior Bryan Burke (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) came off the bench to enduce a fly out to centerfield to end the rally.

In the tenth, the Blackbirds put runners on first and second with one out but could not capitalize as Durkin grounded into a double play to end the inning. St. Peter’s took advantage of its opportunity in the bottom half and ended the game with a run-scoring fielder’s choice by Wayne Guarino.

The baseball team is back in action against NYIT on Wednesday, April 26. The home contest is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.