Mike Van Pelt (left) and Joseph Fiori (right) had tremendous pitching performances in the sweep of Yeshiva

The College of Staten Island men’s baseball team won back-to-back games for the first time this season, completing a doubleheader sweep of Yeshiva University in their home opener at the CSI Baseball Complex as part of CUNYAC action earlier today. CSI took the first game, 16-1, before getting by the Maccabees, 4-0, in the later game. The Dolphins improved to 5-6 overall and 3-1 in conference play, while Yeshiva fell to 1-6, 0-3, respectively.

The Dolphins got a pair of brilliant starting pitching performances today, and in the first game, CSI erupted for a total of 13 runs in two innings to put plenty of distance between themselves and the visitors. In the opener, Michael Van Pelt earned the start, and the sophomore pitched five masterful innings, allowing only two base hits and no walks while striking out seven batters. In the meantime, CSI added a run in each of the first two innings. In the first inning, CSI’s Bryan Moreno earned on via a walk, and after a stolen base and an advance to third base on a wild pitch, he came in to score on a Will DiFede ground-out. In the next frame, a Moreno double scored Joseph Palmeri who led off the inning getting hit by a pitch.

It wasn’t until the third inning, however, that CSI broke away against YU starter Zevi Weisinger. With the bases loaded, Weisinger walked Dan Lynch and plunked both James Lewis and Moreno to allow runs to score. Weisinger was lifted for Benjy Blumenthal, but he surrendered a two-RBI single to DiFede, which also allowed Moreno to score as well when DiFede got tied up in a run-down to end the inning.

For insurance purposes, CSI added a heavy seven runs in the fourth inning, aided by a trio of Yeshiva errors. Both Moreno and Chris Ramanauskas belted two-RBI singles in the inning. Anthony Storz and John Pignatelli threw one inning each of relief, allowing only a single run (unearned) on one hit to tidy up the victory. Ramanauskas (4-4, 2 RBI, RS), Moreno (2-3, 4 RBI, 3 RS, and Lynch (2-3, RBI, 3 RS) all provided multi-hit games for the Dolphins.

In the second game, it was CSI starter Joseph Fiori that took center stage. The junior transfer threw the complete-game shutout, allowing only four hits and a walk while striking out 13 batters, tied for the 9th-most ever in CSI single-game history. Fiori gave up a leadoff double to Yaniv Lautman to start the game and then retired nine in a row. In the meantime, CSI was nursing a 1-0 lead, when Ramanauskas singled home Moreno in the first inning.

In the fifth inning, CSI got some insurance it needed. Joseph Palmeri started things off with a one-out double, and then later scored on an error. Later, a DiFede single scored Moreno again to make it 3-0. CSI loaded the bases, but Jonathan Gardner, who had just stepped in relief of YU starter Elie Baratz, got a key out to keep the score close. CSI would add another run in the sixth via a John Baggs sac fly that scored James Lewis, but Fiori didn’t need the help. The right-hander struck out the side in the seventh in-between a walk to gain the win.

Palmeri turned in CSI’s only multi-hit game, going 2-3 with a run scored, as CSI out-hit Yeshiva by a modest, 5-4, count.

CSI will be back in action on Tuesday afternoon, when they face SUNY-New Paltz in a single non-conference test at 4pm at the CSI Baseball Complex.