BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Despite an early lead Friday afternoon on LIU Field, the LIU Brooklyn baseball team fell to visiting Mount St. Mary's in the first of three nine-inning contests this weekend, 11-8. Sophomores Edward Modica Jr. and Joe Mercadante led the Blackbirds in the loss, with three RBI each.

Mount opened the scoring in the top of the first inning with a home run to take the early 1-0 lead, but Modica neutralized the threat for the Blackbirds in the bottom of the frame. After senior Charles Misiano and junior Dom Paiotti led off with singles to get on base, the catcher had a home run over the left field fence that would put LIU on top for the first time, 3-1.

Mount would score once more in the top of the second inning, and tied it up with an RBI single in the top of the third, 3-3. The Blackbirds would get back on top in the fifth frame, scoring one run. After Modica reached on a leadoff single and senior Harrison Preschel walked, freshman Joe Curcio would bring a run home. Mount's infield would get Preschel out at second, but couldn't convert the double play, and Curcio would be safe at first, with Modica scoring from second base on the play.

In the top of the sixth, Mount would score five runs on four hits and three walks, taking the 8-4 lead, but LIU would make up some ground in the bottom of the frame.

After sophomore Luis Arias de los Santos reached on an error and Misiano and Paiotti had back-to-back singles to load the bases, sophomore Joe Mercadante would hit a bases-clearing double to left field that would cut the difference to 8-7.

But it was the closest LIU would come; three walks and two RBI singles would put the Mountaineers up, 11-7 in the top of the seventh inning. LIU would score once more on an error in the bottom of the eighth, but it wasn't enough, and Mount took the first win of the three-game series, 11-8.

Up next, the two teams resume the series with a nine-inning contest, Saturday, April 22 at 1 p.m.