UNIONDALE, N.Y. (May 11, 2017) - On Thursday, the No. 2 seed LIU Post baseball team opened up East Coast Conference Championship play with a 7-1 win against third-seeded University of Bridgeport at the Mitchel Field Athletic Complex.

The victory now moves the Pioneers (28-18) into the winner's bracket, where they will face the winner of the contest between top-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas College and No. 4 seed Molloy College at 2 p.m. on Friday (May 12).

Tied 1-1 with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, the green and gold rallied to score four runs to grab a 5-1 lead.

Following back-to-back one-out singles by Thomas Asbaty (Randolph, N.J.) and Dave Brehm (Bohemia, N.Y.) and a subsequent hit batsman to load the bases, junior shortstop Joe Spitaleri (Levittown, N.Y.) reached on an infield error that plated a pair to break the tie.

Senior outfielder Kenny Daley (Glenwood Landing, N.Y.) then gave the Pioneers some insurance with a two-RBI single to right, which drove in Spitaleri and sophomore second baseman Sal Geraci (Bayport, N.Y.).

Despite leading by a four-run margin, LIU Post kept its foot to the gas pedal. Sophomore third baseman Jimmy Mendyk (Massapequa, N.Y.) added an RBI sacrifice fly in the seventh, while junior outfielder Rob Andreoli (North Wantagh, N.Y.) produced a run on an RBI groundout to increase the Pioneers' lead to 7-1.

Senior pitcher Jake DeCarli (Higganum, Conn.) went the distance in the effort, tossing a complete-game six hitter with seven strikeouts. He retired 15 of the last 16 hitters to face him and let up just one unearned run.

For the most up-to-date bracket of the 2017 ECC Baseball Championship, please click here.