CARY, N.C. – Junior
James Varela struck out 12 in a complete game shutout against Franklin Pierce to help guide the LIU Post baseball team to a split with the Ravens and the University of Findlay at the USA Baseball Complex March 10.
The 12 strikeouts were a career-high for Varela as he allowed just four hits to remain a perfect 3-0 on the season. Varela now has an East Coast Conference-best 38 strikeouts on the year, averaging nearly 12 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.
Senior
Ramger Iglesias led the Pioneers with three hits at the dish, adding one run batted in. Fellow classmate
Joe Spitaleri blasted a solo home run for his second round-tripper of the season. Senior
Rob Andreoli and juniors
Jimmy Mendyk and
Michael Manzione added multi-hit days with two hits apiece.
Game One – Findlay 6, LIU Post 4
The late-inning plague continued to rear its ugly head for the Pioneers in the day's opening game, as Findlay scored three runs in the top of the ninth to erase a one-run deficit and hand LIU Post its fifth ninth-inning loss of the season.
Sophomore
Noah Lorenzo was solid on the mound, striking out nine over six innings of work, allowing just two runs.
The Oilers took an early lead on a two-out double in the top of the first inning and extended the lead to 2-0 in the third on a Pioneer throwing error. LIU Post bounced back in the bottom of the frame, however, when Spitaleri fouled out down the right-field line and it was the Pioneers taking advantage of a throwing error to level the scoring, 2-2. Later in the at-bat, the Green and Gold took its first lead on a passed ball. A sacrifice fly by Iglesias in the bottom of the fourth gave the Pioneers a two-run.
Findlay got one run back in the seventh but continued to trail 4-3 heading into the final frame. A leadoff single and a passed ball during the following at-bat set up the Oilers with the tying run in scoring position to begin the inning. Following a sacrifice bunt and a walk, Findlay tied the game on a passed ball and plated the go-ahead run on the same play on a Pioneer throwing error to take a 5-4 lead. The Oilers tacked on another unearned run with two outs in the frame, putting LIU Post behind 6-4 heading into its final at-bat, but the Green and Gold went down in order to drop its opening game of the day.
Game Two - LIU Post 2, Franklin Pierce 0
Varela's gem helped LIU Post keep Franklin Pierce in check after the Pioneers defeated the Ravens in a wild 20-16 contest two weeks ago. The 12 strikeouts were the most by a Pioneer in a game since
Jake DeCarli '17 fanned 12 against Nyack College on March 7, 2016.
After allowing the first two Raven batters of the contest to reach base, Varela struck out the side to work out of a first-inning jam. Following a scoreless second inning, Spitaleri led off the top of the third with a solo home run to put LIU Post ahead 1-0 and the Levittown native plated another run for the Pioneers with an RBI-groundout to give Varela all the run support he needed.
Verela stranded five base runners over the next five Raven at-bats, keeping Franklin Pierce off the scoreboard. The Ravens put two runners in scoring position during their final at-bat, but the left-hander induced a pop-out and a groundout to end the threat and record his second career shutout.
The Pioneers return to action on Sunday, March 11 for a two-game set against Dominican College and the College of Saint Rose beginning at 11:00 a.m.