BROOKLYN, N.Y.— The LIU Brooklyn baseball team fell in its Northeast Conference series finale to Bryant, 4-2 on Sunday afternoon. 
 
The Blackbirds struck with the games first run in the bottom half of the first inning as senior Joe Mercadante lifted the 1-0 offering over the wall in right center field.
 
Bryant responded in the top of the third with a pair of runs on a RBI double and RBI single to jump ahead 2-1.
 
Senior Brock Hallum led off the bottom half of the fifth inning with a double down the right field line. Bryant quickly got a pair of outs before an errant throw at third in sophomore Colin Adams at bat allowed Hallum to score from second to tie the game up at 2-2.
 
The Bulldogs threatened with runners at the corners with one out but junior Rob Griswold escaped the inning with a strikeout and groundout. Bryant broke the tie ballgame in the top of the seventh inning on a two-out double down the right field line for the 3-2 lead.
 
Bryant added its final run in the top half of the eighth on an errant throw looking to nab the lead runner at third base with no outs. Bulldogs closer Chris Wright held the LIU offense down, working a pair of 1-2-3 innings to close out the 4-2 game.
 
There were just eight combined hits in the weekend finale with Bryant holding a 5-3 favor. Adams, Hallum and Mercadante all recorded a hit for LIU.
 
Jackson Svete earned the start for the Blackbirds, surrendering two runs on two hits in five innings of work. Griswold suffered the loss, giving up one run on two hits in two innings of relief. Senior Mike Kreiger earned a pair of strikeouts in the final two innings of relief.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Blackbirds travel out to Long Island for a midweek matchup at Hofstra on Wednesday, April 7 at 3:00 p.m.