James DeAlto went 1-for-5 with one run batted in for Stonehill in the victory.

Skyhawks post two runs in the top of the eleventh to earn the victory

STONY BROOK, N.Y. (March 3, 2012) – Stonehill College, ranked seventh overall in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) East Regional Poll, earned a 5-4 (eleven innings) comeback victory over Molloy College in non-conference action on Saturday afternoon at Joe Nathan Field.

Senior left-handed pitcher Michael Von Stein (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) earned the victory in relief on one-and-two-thirds innings pitched, three hits, one run (earned), no walks and one strikeout. Senior left-handed pitcher Eric Haughn (Pembroke, Mass./Pembroke) was handed the no-decision tossing five innings, yielding two hits, two runs (both earned), three walks and four punchouts. Senior Kyle Shepard (Boxford, Mass./Masconomet) went four-and-one-thirds innings allowing three hits, one run (earned), one walk and seven strikeouts.

For Molloy, junior right-hander Patrick Brown (Howard Beach, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) suffered the loss on two innings pitched, two hits, two runs (both unearned), two walks and three strikeouts. Senior left-hander Chuck Fontana (Staten Island, N.Y./Msgr. Farrell) was handed the no-decision on eight innings pitched, four hits, one run (earned), two walks and nine punchouts. Sophomore Anthony Eichhorn (Sayville, N.Y./St. Anthony's) pitched one inning in relief yielding two hits, two runs (both earned), one walk and one strikeout.

Trailing 3-1 in the top of the ninth, Stonehill rallied with a pair of two-out runs to force extra innings and earn the eventual win.

After senior left fielder Michael Magnussen (Carver, Mass./Coyle & Cassidy) fouled out and senior designated hitter Steven Popp (Unionville, Conn./Farmington) struck out swinging, sophomore right fielder Billy Karalis (Pawtucket, R.I./Bishop Feehan) drew a walk to extend the inning. Sophomore second baseman Dan Fratus (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) followed with a triple scoring Karalis to cut the deficit to 3-2. In the next at bat, junior center fielder James DeAlto (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y./Briarcliff) laced a game tying single plating Fratus from third base to even the score at 3-3.

In the eleventh inning, sophomore catcher Colin Shepard (Boxford, Mass./Masconomet) gave the Skyhawks their first lead of the entire game with a two-run single to right field driving home Fratus and Karalis for a 5-3 advantage. Fratus reached second base on a fielding error while Karalis reached earlier in the inning on a fielder's choice and advance to third on the fielding miscue before C. Shepard drove in the eventual game-winning runs.

Molloy's rally fell short in the bottom half of the inning with the game-tying run stranded on third base. Freshman pinch-hitter Dino Tomasetti (Hewlett, N.Y./Rhode Island) cut the deficit to 5-4 with a fielder's choice RBI plating redshirt-freshman John Galanoudis (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) from first base. Freshman Joe Liberatore (Blue Point, N.Y./Bayport Blue Point) was called out on an appeal play after scoring on Tomasetti's fielder choice from second base. Von Stein closed out the game by forcing senior third baseman Frank Marchisello (Staten Island, N.Y./Moore Catholic) to ground out to his own counterpart defensively.

Fratus went 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI's and one walk while C. Shepard went 1-for-5 with two runs batted in to lead the Stonehill offense. Popp also went 3-for-5 with one run scored.

Junior catcher Ray McCourt (River Edge, N.J./County College of Morris) was 2-for-5 with two runs batted in and junior first baseman Erik Pyle (Atlantic Beach, N.Y./Kellenberg) went 2-for-5 with one run driven in.

Stonehill (5-1, 0-0 NE-10, 0-0 Northeast Division) returns to action tomorrow against LIU-C.W. Post in doubleheader action with game one scheduled for noon. Molloy (5-3, 0-0 ECC) hosts the University of New Haven at Joe Nathan Field tomorrow for a twinbill at noon.