Just one day after dropping a heartbreaking 6-5 decision in walk-off fashion to CCNY, the College of Staten Island men’s baseball team returned the favor to Lehman College, up-ending the Lightning, 6-5 with two late runs in the ninth inning to take the conference affair. CSI lifted its record to 8-7 overall and 3-1 in the CUNYAC, while Lehman dropped its 10th-straight, falling to 1-2, 0-2, respectively. The game was a make-up of a previously rained-out contest this past Saturday.
The back-and-forth affair featured plenty of highlights. The Dolphins fell behind, 1-0, after one frame, but bounced back to take a 3-1 lead just an inning later, touching LC starter Wilfredo Gonzalez for the trio of runs, all earned. Nick Delprete plated Greg Manassa via a single to start the scoring and Anderson Acosta and Joe Palmeri added SAC RBI’s to stake CSI the lead.
Lehman battled from there against CSI starter Mike Fitzpatrick. After CSI made it 4-1 in their turn of the third via a Manassa single that scored John Baggs, Lehman responded with a run in their turn of the third on a Michael Liang sac fly, making it 4-2. While Gonzalez settled nicely on the hill to keep the Dolphins scoreless through the next five innings, Lehman added single runs in the fourth and sixth innings, before the game moved into the late stages.
In the eighth inning and against CSI reliever Chris Falcone, Lehman grabbed their first lead since the first inning. Thomas Montilli started with a ground-rule double, and after Carlos Alcantara was walked, a Tom Liang single loaded the bases with one away. Jamie Maldonado then came up and hit a slow infield single back to Falcone, scoring Montilli. Falcone settled to record the final outs, but with three outs left for CSI, the Dolphins were down, 5-4.
CSI needed a comeback, and got their turn to play spoiler in the ninth. Michael Liang came in to record the save, but the Dolphins had other plans. After recording an out, Liang walked the bases loaded. Liang responded by striking out Baggs to put CSI to the brink with two outs. The Dolphins then got a break when a Liang pitch escaped catcher Maldonado for a passed ball, scoring Acosta to tie the game. Still with two down and runners at second and third, Will DiFede then struck the fatal blow, scoring an infield single to shortstop, scoring Palmeri to give CSI back the lead, 6-5.
Lehman had one final gasp in the bottom of the ninth, but after allowing a single with two outs, Falcone got Michael Liang to ground out to end the game, giving CSI the win.
Falcone got the win, tossing four relief innings, allowing two runs on six hits, fanning five. Liang took the loss with the blown save in the eighth, spoiling Gonzalez’s eight-inning performance. Lehman out-hit CSI, 12-9, as Montilli went 3-5 with a pair of runs scored. Phil Ciprello and Manassa finished with two hits apiece for CSI.
?The Dolphins broke their two game losing skip, and will now be idle until Sunday, when they host Vaughn College for a 12 Noon doubleheader as part of non-conference play.
