OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. – The top-seeded LIU Post baseball team captured its second East Coast Conference (ECC) Championship in three years Saturday afternoon, taking down the third-seeded University of Bridgeport 15-0 at the Angelo Lorenzo Memorial Baseball Field on the campus of the New York Institute of Technology.
 
After winning three-straight games at the ECC Championship, the Pioneers won their second ECC title in three years after also winning in 2017. LIU Post earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Freshman Giovanni Ciaccio garnered Most Outstanding Player honors after hitting .583 throughout the tournament and tallying seven hits including two home runs, seven runs scored, six RBI and two stolen bases.
 

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After taking down Bridgeport 15-0, baseball is the 2019 @eccsports champion! Freshman Giovanni Ciaccio was honored as the Most Outstanding Player. PioneerNation 🔰⚾️

A post shared by LIU Post Pioneers (@liupostpioneers) on May 11, 2019 at 12:22pm PDT

Freshman Joshua Loeschorn, the 2019 ECC Pitcher of the Year, more than lived up to the honor by improving his record to a perfect 10-0. He threw 7.0 innings, striking out eight and not allowing a run. Junior Mike Stiles and senior Brian Kavanagh also saw action on the mound for LIU Post.
 
Ciaccio led the way for the Pioneers with two home runs, including a grand slam, along with five RBI. Senior Michael Manzione also hit a grand slam and freshman David Franchi finished with three hits while redshirt junior Andy Camilo recorded two hits and three RBI. Sophomore Christopher Wasson and senior Dave Brehm also had hits for LIU Post.
 
LIU Post produced a five-run, three-hit first inning to get on the front foot early. Ciaccio homered to right field then Manzione launched a grand slam, his tenth home run of the season, to center field and gave LIU Post a 5-0 lead to end the frame.
 

Michael Manzione clears the bases with a moonshot first inning grand slam. LIU Post leads 5-0. pic.twitter.com/Xz8MTixeZh

— ECCNetwork (@ECCSportsNet) May 11, 2019

In the bottom of the second the Pioneers built their lead to 6-0 as Ciaccio scored following a failed pickoff attempt by the Knights pitcher. Camilo would then knock a three RBI double to right field in the bottom of the fourth, widening the margin to 9-0.
 
Camilo would bring the Pioneers lead to double digits in the bottom of the sixth, scoring after senior Michael Greene was hit by a pitch. Ciaccio then launched his second homer of the contest, this one a grand slam down the right field line and the Pioneers advantage ballooned to 14-0.
 
In the bottom of the eight junior Zach Fritz scored after Greene reached on a fielder's choice, giving LIU Post a 15-0 lead that they held onto for the remainder of the contest.
 
Up Next
Given the Pioneers earned automatic bid to the NCAA Championship, they will hear the location of their regional tomorrow night at 10:00 p.m. during the selection show.