UNIONDALE, N.Y.- The top seeded Dowling College baseball team dropped their opening round game of the East Coast Conference Championship Tournament 8-0 to the No. 4 seeded Pioneers of LIU Post.  The Golden Lions slide to 27-14 on the season as the Pioneers advance in the winners bracket at 18-16.
 
After the Golden Lions stranded runners in the first and second innings, LIU jumped to an early lead in the top of the third with three unearned runs.  The Pioneers added three more in the top of the fourth when they strung together three hits capped by an RBI double to left by Anthony Brunetti.
 
The Pioneers tacked on two more insurance runs in the top of the fifth before senior Robert Rose retired the final out with a fly ball to right. 
 
The Golden Lions got back-to-back two out singles by Adam Schuster and Vinny Orlando in the bottom of the eighth, but ECC Pitcher of the Year Jake DeCarli got Michael Richter swinging to end the threat and went on to retire the final three outs on the ninth in order to pick up his sixth win of the season.
 
Orlando finished 2 for 3 with a double to lead the Golden Lions at the plate.
 
Senior Brendan Butler was tagged with the loss allowing seven runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings of work.  Joining Rose out of the bullpen was John Parisi and Chris Tessitore, neither allowing a run.
 
The Golden Lions will now face the No. 2 seed University of Bridgeport in a must win game tomorrow, May 8^th.  Game time is slated for 10:00 AM.