BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU Brooklyn baseball team rallied from a 6-0 deficit to beat Sacred Heart 9-7 on LIU Field Thursday afternoon, earning a key Northeast Conference win. Sophomore Anthony Rupp had the win on the mound for LIU, while junior Baylor LaPointe pitched two shutout innings of relief, and sophomore Mike Kreiger earned his ninth save of the season.
 
The Pioneers got on the board early, scoring a run in the top of the first and second innings, to go up 2-0. Sacred Heart used six hits in the top of the third inning to score four more runs, and led 6-0 from there.
 
The Blackbirds had a six-run rally in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie it up. Sophomore Andrew Smith led off with a single, and came home when senior Charles Misiano had a triple to right field. Junior Dom Paiotti was up next, and doubled down the right field line to bring Misiano home and cut the lead to 6-2. Sophomore Joe Mercadante was walked, and junior Andrew Turner singled to load the bases. Senior Harrison Preschel was hit by a pitch to walk in a run, and with one out, senior Anthony Capo brought home two more runs with his double down the left field line. Another hit batter would load the bases for LIU, and Smith came up again. This time, the sophomore had a sacrifice fly to left field that tied the game up, 6-6.
 
SHU would score again in the top of the sixth to retake the lead, 7-6, but LIU answered in the bottom of the frame. Paiotti led off being hit by a pitch, and scored from second on Andrew Turner's double to left field to tie it up, 7-7. With two outs, freshman Joe Curcio hit a double to left field that would bring Turner home, and the Blackbirds led, 8-7.
 
LIU would add an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh; after Smith led off with a triple, Paiotti would single up the middle to bring him home and make it 9-7.
 
From there, LIU's bullpen did the work. Junior Baylor LaPointe pitched 2.0 scoreless innings, giving up just two hits and striking out four batters, while sophomore Mike Kreiger shut down Sacred Heart in the top of the ninth. He earned his ninth save of the season by holding the Pioneers hitless for the final frame, and clinching LIU's 12^th NEC win, 9-7. Sophomore Anthony Rupp (2-6) earned the win, striking out seven batters in the first 6.0 innings pitched.
 
Senior Anthony Capo and junior Dom Paiotti led the Blackbirds with two RBI apiece, while Paiotti, Charles Misiano, Andrew Turner, Andrew Smith and Joe Curcio all had multi-hit games for LIU.
 
The two teams resume the series with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m., Friday, May 19 on LIU Field.