The top-seeded College of Staten Island baseball team dropped their opening game of the 2017 CUNYAC Postseason Championship double-elimination tournament, dropping a 6-4 decision to visiting John Jay College at the CSI Baseball Complex.  The Dolphins will now look eto stave off elimination the rest of the way, needing to win the next four games to capture the title.  The Bloodhounds, who defeated no. 5 Lehman earlier in the afternoon, 4-1, to earn into the double-elimination round, are now 13-23 overall, while Dolphins, who have now lost three straight, fell to 23-11-1.

Christian Capellan got the start for CSI, seeking retribution after a tough outing during the regular season against JJC, lasting only two innings.  This time he was crisp through the first three innings, holding the Bloodhounds scoreless.  Meanwhile the Dolphins registered in the first inning.  Anthony DiMarco laced a one-out double against JJC starter Sean Napier and was promptly plated by a Frank Muzzio RBI single to give CSi the lead.

In the fourth, Capellan was finally touched for a run by JJC.  Dylan Laudano started with a one-out single and was moved over to second on a bunt single by Charlee Rodriguez.  C.J. Meyer then roped a single to score Laudano to knot the game.

The stalemate would last until the sixth.  There, Muzzio would start a rally with a single and he was moved by a Glenn Glennerster sac bunt.  Two at-bats later, Bobby Drake powered a single into right field, scoring Muzzio to make it 2-1.

In the seventh CSI secured its lead.  DiMarco would walk and after a Nick Meola single, an error brought in DiMarco to make it 3-1.  Danny Wynne would come in to replace Napier, but not before he could stop Glennerster from popping in a sac fly to plate Meola and make it 4-1.

With Capellan humming, CSI seemed poised for the win but JJC had other plans.  In the eighth, they drew closer thanks to a Laudano RBI-single, setting the stage for a feverish final inning.

After retiring CSI, JJC went to work in the 9th, with Brandon Thomas starting it off with a one-out single.  After registering another out, Capelln then plunked Jurrel Diaz, and Zach Hyde followed with an RBI single to right field, scoring Thomas to make it 4-3.  That chased Capellan in favor of Chris Karnbach, who would come in to face RJ Davila.  It would prove fatal, as Davila launched a lined shot to right field that was grossly misjudged by right fielder Jordan Wilson, who elevated but could not make the catch, and Davila cleared the bases with a two-RBI triple to make it 5-4.  Davila would then be plated by a Garcia RBI single to make it 6-4 before CSI would finally get out of the jam.

A seemingly shell-shocked CSI was retired 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 9th, giving JJC the improbable come-from-behind win.  Wynne took the win in relief while Capellan took the loss.  Both teams posted 11 hits in the game.  CSI was led by Drake’s 3-4 performance while DiMarco and Muzzio added two hits each.  Davila finished 3-5 with two RBI and a pair of runs scored.

In Thursday’s other playoff games, No. 3 CCNY defeated No.6 Maine-Presque Isle, 2-1, in single elimination play, and No. 2 Baruch followed with a 10-5 win over CCNY.  That means CSI will meet with CCNY in an elimination game on Saturday at Noon.  The two winning sides will meet at 3pm.

All games that were scheduled for tomorrow have been postponed until Saturday.