Myrtle Beach, S.C. – The 20^th ranked Molloy baseball team swept the Purple Knights of the University of Bridgeport (6-2 and 10-2) Friday afternoon at the Ripkin Experience. The Lions improved to 5-0, while the Purple Knights move to 0-2.

Game One: Molloy 6, Bridgeport 2

• Bridgeport threatened in the top of the first putting two runners in scoring position. But senior Charlie Cucchiaraleft them stranded to keep the Purple Knights off the scoreboard.
• The Purple Knights loaded the bases in the second inning, but again Cucchiara battled his way out of a jam to keep the game scoreless.
• The Lions cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth. Junior Garrett Scavelli scored following an error and junior Chris Einemann drove in graduate student Jake McCarthy with a sacrifice fly. Molloy led, 2-0, after four innings of play

• The cardinal and white tacked on two more runs in the fifth. Freshman Sean Serrano singled home junior Chris Giardinobefore scoring on a passed ball to put Molloy up 4-0 after five innings.
• In the bottom of the seventh, McCarthy drove in a pair of runners with a single to extend the Lions lead to six, 6-0.
• The Purple Knights scored two runs in the top of the eighth to cut the deficit to four, 6-2.
• The Lions would hold Bridgeport scoreless in the ninth and go on to win game one, 6-2.
• Cucchiara threw seven innings of shutout baseball and struck out nine to move to 2-0 on the season.
• Junior Timmy Mott tossed the final two innings allowing two runs on five hits while striking out two.

Game 2: Molloy 10, Bridgeport 2

• After a scoreless first inning, sophomore Tom Lebrecht ripped a two-run triple to give the Lions a 2-0 lead.
• The Lions added two more runs in the third. McCarthy singled to score Scavelli and Giardino brought McCarthy home with a sacrifice fly to extend the lead, 4-0.
• The Purple Knights tallied a run in the bottom of the frame and threatened to score more in the inning. But graduate student Robert Lucano induced a strikeout and a ground out with the bases loaded to keep the contest at a 4-1 score.
• The cardinal and white stayed hot at the plate in the fourth, clinging to a four-run inning. Scavelli notched a two-rbi single scoring junior Aidan Larkin and sophomore JJ DeVito and McCarthy drove in two more runs with a double to extend the lead to seven, 8-1.
• Molloy scored two runs for the fourth straight inning in the fifth. Lebrecht tallied his second RBI triple of the afternoon and Larkin recorded a sacrifice fly to put the game out of reach, 10-1.
• The Lions would close the contest victorious, 10-2.
• Lucano threw five innings allowing two runs on five hits while striking out three to move to 2-0 on the campaign.
• Senior Nicholas Incalcaterra pitched the final two innings allowing one and striking out three.

Up Next
The Lions return to the diamond tomorrow February 25 to play Wilmington. First-pitch is set for 11:00 a.m.