BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Junior Andrew Turner tied the program single game record with three doubles, leading the LIU Brooklyn baseball team in a midweek non-conference matchup at home Wednesday afternoon. The Blackbirds downed local rival NYIT, 9-5, to improve to 15-18 on the season. Sophomore William Jackson III (2-3) had the win on the mound, while senior Matt Ornstein had his first save of the season for LIU.
 
The Blackbirds started scoring right away, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first frame. Two walks put runners on with one out, and Andrew Turner had his first of what would be three doubles on the day, scoring one run. Sophomore Luis Arias de los Santos brought home the next two runs, with his two-out single to left field that put LIU up, 3-0.
 
NYIT would tie it up in the second, however, on an RBI fielder's choice, and a triple down the left field line to make it 3-3.
 
Turner would put the Blackbirds on top again in the bottom of the third inning. After sophomore Joe Mercadante had a one-out single to right center field, Turner would hit his second double of the day to score the speedy sophomore. Senior Anthony Capo would add one more run to the pile with an RBI single up the middle, to make it 5-3.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, a single from freshman Rob Griswold led off, and four straight walks would score two runs for LIU, widening the gap to 7-3.
 
The Bears would score on an error in the top of the sixth, and had a single home run in the top of the eighth to close the gap to 7-5, but LIU wasn't done scoring. In the bottom of the eighth, Mercadante would bring two runs home with a double off the center field fence, putting the Blackbirds on top for good, 9-5.
 
Senior Matt Ornstein pitched the final 2.0 innings for LIU, allowing just one run and earning his first save of the season. William Jackson III earned the win, with no earned runs in 2.0 innings of work and four strikeouts. Senior Anthony Capo also pitched 2.0 scoreless innings, while starter Baylor LaPointe had four strikeouts in 3.0 innings pitched.
 
Junior Andrew Turner finished the game going 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. He ties the school record for doubles in a single game, held by multiple Blackbirds; he's the first LIU player to record three doubles in a game since 2013.  
 
Sophomore Joe Mercadante went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored, while freshman Rob Griswold went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
 
Up next, the Blackbirds head over the Verrazano Bridge to take on cross-borough rival Wagner, Friday, April 28 through Sunday, April 30.