BROOKLYN, N.Y.— A single to left field with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning by senior Alex Briggs gave the LIU Brooklyn baseball team a 7-6 win over Stony Brook. The Blackbirds cap their four-game homestand at LIU Field with a big win over the Seawolves.                                                                                                                                                 

LIU registered nine hits on the day with two home runs as senior Andrew Smith recorded a three-run jack and senior Edward Modica Jr. picked up a solo shot. The Blackbirds capped their homestand with seven home runs in four games. Briggs and Smith paced the lineup with two hits apiece and combined for five of the LIU RBIs against the Seawolves.
 
The Blackbirds offense got rolling to start the game as Briggs opened the bottom of the first with a RBI double to left field with one out. Smith then stepped in the next at bat, taking the 2-2 offering over the right field fence for the 4-0 advantage.
 
Stony Brooks high-powered offense answered in the top of the third inning, plating four runs on four hits to tie the game.
 
Modica quickly gave LIU back the lead in the bottom of the fourth, taking the first pitch he saw over the left field wall on to Ashland Place. The Blackbirds then pushed the lead to two in the bottom of the sixth inning on a two-out single by sophomore Colin Adams to bring the score to 6-4.
 
The Seawolves then battled back to tie the game in the top half of the eighth inning recording a RBI single and sacrifice fly to knot the game at 6-6.
 
Senior Joe Mercadante opened the bottom of the ninth with a single to left field. A pitch grazed junior Rob Griswold on the elbow, allowing runners on first and second for LIU. Senior Brock Hallum earned a four pitch walk to load the bases. Briggs stepped to the plate and lifted the 2-2 pitch down the left field line to give the Blackbirds the walk-off win.
 
Sophomore James Steindl started the game for LIU, throwing the first four innings. Senior Anthony Rupp then pitched the next three and a third innings of relief, surrendering just two runs while striking out four. Griswold closed out the final inning and a third, scattering three hits while fanning three batters for his fourth win of the season.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Blackbirds open up a four-game road stretch tomorrow afternoon with a trip to La Salle for a 3:00 p.m. start.