BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU Brooklyn baseball team dropped its final two games at home this season, falling to league-leaders Bryant in a double header Sunday afternoon on LIU Field. The Bulldogs brought the bats big time, beating LIU 21-8 and 15-5 in the two games. With the losses, LIU, still in contention for a playoff spot, moves to 14-31 overall, 8-14 in the Northeast Conference, while first-place Bryant improves to 36-9 overall, 19-3 in the NEC. Prior to the game, the Blackbirds honored the eight members of the senior class, who played in their final two games on LIU Field this afternoon.

Bryant 21, LIU 8
In the first game of the day, the Bulldogs scored in every inning to beat the Blackbirds handily. A single home run in the top of the first inning got scoring started, and set the tone for the rest of the game, as Bryant would hit nine homers, scoring 21 runs on 17 hits.

LIU got on the board in the bottom of the second inning. Junior Harrison Preschel led the inning off with a single to center, and freshman Kyle Ruth put him in scoring position with a double to left field. Sophomore Andrew Turner's RBI groundout got the Blackbirds on the board, and senior Luis Rios made it 4-2, with his RBI double to left center field.

Preschel would score again for LIU in the bottom of the fourth on a double play, but LIU's most productive inning was the bottom of the sixth. Ruth led off with a single, and Tuner followed with another. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, and senior John Knauth came to the plate. He reached on an error that would score Ruth, and junior Anthony Capo followed it with an RBI single to bring Turner home. Knauth came home on another double play, and two seniors combined for LIU's next run. Senior Brian Lamboy had a single, and senior Tommy Jakubowski had had a triple down the right field line that would bring him home. Senior Nate Struss then came to the plate, and had a single up the middle that would bring Jakubowksi home as well.

The five runs scored were the most in an inning for LIU so far, but it wasn't enough to put a dent in the lead, as Bryant led 19-8. The Bulldogs would add two more runs in the top of the seventh, taking the win, 21-8.  

Bryant 15, LIU 5
In the second game of the day, the Blackbirds got on the board first. Brian Lamboy led off with a double to left field, and he was moved over with a groundout. Freshman Andy Camilo had the RBI groundout to score him from third, and LIU led, 1-0.

The lead would be short-lived, however. In the top of the second, Bryant would score five runs on three hits and an error to go up, 5-1. The Bulldogs would add another run in the top of the third, and five more in the top of the fourth before the Blackbirds were able to score again. Senior Luis Rios had a triple and scored on a Bryant error to give LIU its second run on the game. Four straight walks would give the Blackbirds a third run in the bottom of the seventh, but Bryant was up at that point, 15-3.

The highlight of the game for LIU came in the bottom of the ninth inning. After freshman Andrew Smith came in to pinch hit and was walked, senior Nate Struss had a one-out home run to right field. His first of the year, and his third RBI of the day, Struss's dinger would add two runs to LIU's total, cutting the gap down to 15-5. A double play would end the inning, however, and Bryant completed the second-day sweep.

Up next, the Blackbirds head south, for their final non-conference game of the season. LIU will take on Villanova, Tuesday, May 10 at 3:30 p.m.