Baseball Splits Season-Opening Doubleheader at UMES

3/5/05 -- Long Island University split its first two games of the season with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, a 5-4 loss in extra innings and a 7-3 victory in game two.

In the first game, LIU plated two runs in the last inning of a seven-inning contest to force extra stanzas. After junior Trey Bell (Georgetown, Del.) walked to open the inning, sophomore James Adamo (Paramus, N.J.) singled to left.

Nathan Olson (Poland, Maine) sacrificed both runners and fellow junior Tim Doherty (Newark, Del.) reached on an error as Bell scored to bring LIU to within a run. Matthew Martino (Staten Island, N.Y.) drilled a sacrifice fly to bring home the equalizer.

The Fighting Hawks used a bunt single from Eric Gaines with no outs to push across the winning run in the ninth.

Sophomore Ryan Ekberg (Carmel, N.Y.) suffered his first loss of the season, allowing the decisive run and four hits. Junior Matthew Bunyan (Belle Harbor, N.Y.) threw the first four innings, allowing four runs and four hits.

The Blackbirds rallied in the second contest for their first victory of the season. UMES plated two in the first to take a 2-0 lead. The Blackbirds got on the board in the fourth, cutting the lead to 2-1.

LIU gained a 4-1 advantage in the fifth, recording three runs on just one hit. The Blackbirds scored three more in the seventh to put the game out of reach.

Sophomore Richard Moran registered the win for LIU, pitching 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on nine hits with five strikeouts. Olson went 3-for-3 and Martino went 2-for-3 for the Blackbirds.