Waltham, Mass. – The second-seeded Molloy baseball team fell to the top-seeded Falcons of Bentley, 3-2, Saturday afternoon at Coach DeFelice Field in Game Three of the NCAA East Super Regional. The Lions finish their historic season with a record of 42-12. 42 victories ties a program record with the 2024 squad.
How it Happened
- The Lions wasted little time, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first following a solo home run from senior Sean Welsh.
- In the bottom of the third, the Falcons loaded the bases following a pair of Molloy errors and a walk with one out on the board. Graduate student JC Kiss would induce a 4-6-3 double play to escape the jam to keep Molloy ahead.
- Molloy looked to add to their lead in the fourth with runners on first and second with one out, but Bentley starter Sam Belliveau halted the chance ending the frame with a strikeout and a fly out.
- The bottom of the frame saw Bentley get the tying run to third with two away, but once again Kiss would avoid trouble ending the inning with a fly out to keep Molloy in front.
- Following a leadoff walk and a sacrifice bunt in the fifth, the home team put the tying run on second with one away. Bentley looked to swipe third, but senior Jeremy Taggart came up firing to nail the runner at third and put two outs on the board.
- Later in the frame, the Falcons had runners on first and second, but once again Kiss got out of the inning with a ground out.
- The bottom of the sixth saw Bentley get on the board with a solo home run to not the contest at one. Later in the inning with the bases loaded and one out, the Falcons took a 2-1 lead after a run scored following a fielder's choice on a close double play opportunity.
- Molloy would strike back in the top of the seventh. After senior Sean Serrano walked, junior Jack Vallario tripled down the right field to plate Serrano and bring the contest to all square, 2-2.
- The eighth inning saw Bentley load the bases to put the go-ahead run 90 feet away with two outs. After being called out of the bullpen, sophomore Jayden Patel induced an inning ending fly out to keep the game deadlocked at two.
- In the bottom of the ninth with runners on first and second for Bentley, Vallario would save a game-winning single with one out with a diving play to his right to collect the innings second out.
- Later in the frame, the Falcons would clinch the victory, 3-2, after the game winning run scored following a wild pitch.
Top Performances
- Welsh hit his 14th home run of the season as part of a team-leading two hit day.
- Vallario tripled and drove in a run.
- Kiss tossed 5.1 innings allowing two runs on three hits in the no-decision.