BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The Blackbirds banged out a season-high eight doubles on Senior Day at LIU Field to beat NEC foe Fairleigh Dickinson, 13-1, behind a stellar performance by sophomore Patrick Clyne on the mound. The Blackbirds (26-24, 14-12) scored in every inning except the second in the opening game of the series to go to 4-0 over FDU this season. For Senior Day, the team's three seniors Baylor LaPointe, Dom Paiotti and Andrew Turner were recognized on the field with their families just prior to the first pitch.

With the win, the Blackbirds' magic number to clinch a spot in the Northeast Conference Tournament next week is down to one, as LIU will close out the regular season with a doubleheader (two nine-inning games) against FDU (10-35, 1-24 NEC) on Friday beginning at 12 noon. The magic number at one means that one LIU win or a loss by Sacred Heart, will cinch the school's first berth in the NEC Championships for the first time since the 2013 season.

Juniors Andrew Smith and Alex Briggs led off the home first with back-to-back doubles, to give the home team a 1-0 lead. In the third inning, Paiotti singled through the right side to drive in the eventual winning run, then an Edward Modica Jr. sacrifice fly to the left field corner would result in a second run in the frame to make the score 3-0.

In the fourth inning, Smith already with two doubles in the game, nailed his third two-bagger to left field, then later in the frame Turner drove in another run with a single up the middle, to put the score at 5-0. Sophomore Joe Curcio had an RBI double in the fifth inning, plating another run, then Paiotti got back in the RBI column in the fifth inning with a laser beam double to right field in the sixth to put the game out of reach at 7-1.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Turner hit his team-leading 15th double of the season, which also scored Smith, who was on base to extend the lead again. Then in the eighth, after Smith walked with the bases loaded - Briggs unloaded, hitting a blast over the left field fence for his first grand slam as a Blackbird, making the score 13-1.

Meanwhile on the mound, Clyne (4-4), who had a 14-strikeout performance against FDU earlier this year, was dominant again, going 8.0 innings, yielding six hits and three walks to go with five strikeouts, for his fourth win of the season. Clyne's only blemish was a solo home run to Evan McDonald, which went over the monstrous center field fence in the fifth. LIU Junior Anthony Rupp then came on to pitch a scoreless ninth inning to close out the victory.

NOTES FROM THE NEST
Andrew Smith had three doubles in his first three at bats to tie the school record (which Andre Turner has done twice), but couldn't get the magical fourth one. Still he went 3-for-5 with four runs scored and two RBIs from the leadoff spot … Alex Briggs, batting second, had the only home run, but notched his second five RBI game in the last few weeks … With his double, Turner (2-for-4, 2 RBI) now is only two behind the all-time LIU career record of 44 with two regular season games remaining … Senior Dom Paiotti was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, just after getting honored at senior day … Juniors Luis Arias de los Santos and Gregory Vaughn Jr. each scored three runs in the game.