HAMPTON, Va. — The ESU baseball team dropped both games of its doubleheader to Molloy, falling 2-1 in game one and 18-14 in the second game.
PITCHING NOTABLES
- Ethan Woods and Cole Dymek took the mound for the Warriors in the first game, throwing six innings of two-run baseball. Dymek came on in relief, throwing two scoreless innings, not allowing a hit while only walking a single batter.
- The Warriors used eight pitchers in the final game of their road trip, with three of them posting scoreless outings. Jaden Newton, Jake Albert, and Austin Dahl all made it through an inning without Molloy scoring.
BATTING NOTABLES
- Aiden Butz tallied the lone RBI for ESU in the first game and went 3-7 in the second game, bringing in two more runners and scoring twice himself.
- Zander Condeelis had a strong second game, going 2-4 and drawing two walks. The newcomer crossed the plate twice and recorded three RBIs, getting on base two additional times by base on balls.
- Chase Frantz came up to the plate two times in the latter half of the day, recording three RBIs. The freshman drew a bases-loaded walk for his first RBI, then hit a single to score two more.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
- After two scoreless innings by both sides, Connor Reilly got the action going with a leadoff double down the right field line. Two batters later, Butz singled to right field to bring Reilly around and give ESU the first run of the game.
- Molloy answered immediately in the bottom of the third, beginning by getting its first two batters on base. After a double play, ESU got a quick two outs. However, the Lions were able to bring in the runner on third with a single to the outfield, then score that runner off a left field double to take the lead.
- ESU had a couple of chances to tie or even take the lead later in the game, but Molloy held on to win 2-1 in Saturday's opener.
Game 2
- The Lions got their offense going right out of the gate in the second game, scoring the first eight runs through the top of the second. ESU got three runs back off of singles from Jackson Rutecki and Condeelis, and a groundout from Manning plated the third run to make it 8-3 after two.
- Molloy went on to extend its lead to 16-5 after the top of the sixth, scoring four in the fourth and three in the sixth. ESU made things interesting with two strong innings in the seventh and eighth to close the gap. In the bottom of the seventh, the Warriors scored three times in three at-bats off a fielder's choice by Condeelis, a single by Butz, and another single from Shanley Wall. ESU loaded the bases to end the inning, as Cole Serfass and Frantz both drew walks to bring in two additional runs.
- In the eighth inning, Rutecki led off with a walk, advancing to second two batters later and scoring off a Butz double. With two outs, Wall was hit by a pitch, bringing up Easton Albert with runners on the corners. Albert hit a single to right field, scoring Butz and allowing Wall to move into scoring position. Frantz came up after Serfass took another walk, and the freshman hit a two-RBI single, making it 16-14.
- Molloy got some insurance in the top of the ninth with a two-run home run, putting it away with a scoreless bottom half to hold on and win 18-14.
UP NEXT
- ESU returns home next weekend, as the Warriors are slated to host Pitt-Johnstown for two doubleheaders next weekend at Creekview Park. The action starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21, and will pick up at the same time the following day for the final two games of the series.
