BROOKLYN, N.Y. – On Friday, the LIU Brooklyn Baseball team swept a doubleheader over Fairleigh Dickinson, winning by scores of 10-5 and 10-2, and accomplished a significant program milestone with each victory. With the win in game one, the Blackbirds earned the school's first NEC Championship Tournament berth since 2013 and with the second win, the team tied the LIU Brooklyn school record for wins in a season with 28.

The Blackbirds (28-24, 16-12 NEC) clinched the number three seed in the four-team double elimination tournament beginning next Thursday, May 24 at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Conn.
In the first game on Thursday, LIU will face Wagner, the No. 2 seed (at a time to be determined) with the second game, win or lose, set from Friday, May 25. The championship, for the NEC's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament, concludes on Sunday, May 27.

"It's a great accomplishment for our guys and this group of seniors to get to get to the NEC Championships," said Head Coach Dan Pirillo. "Matching the regular season school record of wins shows the hard work put in by this special group. I'm looking forward to see what lies ahead in Norwich next week."

GAME 1: LIU 10, FDU 5
The Knights got on the board first, scoring a single run in both the first and third innings via four hits, for a 2-0 lead, before the home team hit its stride.

In the bottom of the third inning, the Blackbirds got a run back in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Joe Curcio, to make it 2-1, before the home team exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the fourth frame.

First, senior Dom Paiotti hit a three-run blast over the right field fence, to give LIU a 4-2 lead, then after loading the bases, junior Alex Briggs hit his second grand slam in as many days to extend the lead to 8-2. But the Blackbirds weren't done, shortstop Luis Arias de los Santos added a RBI double to cap the eight-run inning and give the home team a commanding 9-2 lead. LIU added another run in the fifth, on an Andrew Smith double, for a 10-2 lead.

The visitors also added a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning and another run in the seventh frame to make the score 10-5. Freshman Chris Quijano (2-4) got the loss in his fifth start of the season for the Knights.

Junior lefty Cory Hart (4-2) had one of his best outings of the season, going six innings with nine strikeouts, yielding only six hits and three earned runs. Sophomore Rob Griswold came in for the seventh and eighth innings, giving up a run, while striking out three batters and junior Mike Kreiger came in for the ninth frame and struck out the side.

GAME 2: LIU 10, FDU 2
With the Blackbirds' playoff fate decided, senior Baylor LaPointe, who was recognized a day earlier on Senior Day, took the ball for his first start of the season and made the most out of his final home game. LaPointe (4-3) went a season-high 5.1 innings and gave up only three hits and two walks, while striking out seven batters in the win.

Offensively for the Blackbirds, Paiotti drove in the first run of the game with a double to left center in the first inning, before the Blackbirds put up a two-spot in each of the next two innings. In the second inning, Smith hit a two-run homer to left field to give the home team a 3-0 lead and provide the game-winning run. Then in third, Curcio hit a blast over the left field fence with a runner on base, to make it a 5-0 lead. The team produced runs in the fifth and the sixth innings to put the score at 8-1 where it would stand until the 8th inning, when the Knights would get a run back.

Up 8-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning, with the bases loaded, pinch hitter Andy Camillo stroked a RBI single, and with the bases still loaded, pinch hitter Anthony Warneke capped the scoring with a walk, to make the final score 10-2.

NOTES FROM THE NEST
Five Blackbirds hit .500 or better on the final day of the regular season, with three players, Modica, Paiotti and Smith each getting four hits … Paiotti had five runs batted in on the day, followed by Briggs with the four RBIs on the grand slam … LIU hit four homers, two in each game … Senior Andrew Turner was a machine at getting on base in the series with a .750 on base percentage (12-16 plate appearances). He had five hits in nine at bats, walked four times and was hit by a pitch three times and his batting average is up to a season high .336, heading into the postseason.