Sharks’ season ends at Sacred Heart

A year ago, the Long Island University men’s baseball team was on its way to College Park, Maryland to compete in the NCAA Regionals.

By that high standard, this season ended far too prematurely for the Sharks, who saw their campaign closed out in Wappingers Falls, N.Y., last Thursday night.

The Sharks’ reign as Northeast Conference champions and NCAA participants was halted with a 6-4 loss to Sacred Heart at Heritage Financial Park.

LIU (19-36) fell far short of 2022’s program-record 37-win campaign. But the Sharks still could have played their way back to the NCAAs during the NEC Tournament.

After a sobering 23-2 loss to SHU last Wednesday, the Sharks were in the elimination bracket vs. No. 6 Maryland Eastern Shore a few hours later.

Fortunately for LIU, it had Garrett Yawn to lean on.

The 6-foot-4 junior from Moorpark, California tossed his second career complete game en route to an 8-2 victory that allowed the Sharks to live another day.

Yawn threw a career-high 123 pitches, and gutted through a mound visit in the eighth inning from coach Dan Pirillo, who was about to pull the eventual All-NEC Tournament selection.

Pirillo went back to the dugout after Yawn insisted he could make it through the next four outs without squandering a four-run lead.

He did so in fine fashion, finishing with eight strikeouts and two walks after surrendering a pair of runs on five hits during the nine-inning gem.

“There are a few guys I’ll let do that to me,” Pirillo said of leaving Yawn on the hill.

Yawn, who had tossed his first complete game as a Shark on April 29 at Delaware State in a career-high 11-strikeout performance, finished the year with a 5-5 record and 5.48 ERA with 78 strikeouts over 70 2/3 innings.

“I told myself, ‘This is it,’” Yawn said of his brave effort. “We’ve got a lot of seniors on this team. I…