The College of Staten Island men’s baseball team put up six runs in the third inning to help fuel a 9-6 win over visiting United States Merchant Marine Academy as part of non-league play in Staten Island this evening. The win lifted the Dolphins to 12-9 overall while the Mariners fell to 6-16.
Again the frigid evening backdrop both teams coasted through two scoreless innings before the runs started to come. USMMA scratched out an unearned marker in the third off of CSI starter Josh Bernstein, but CSI would get even and then some in their turn of the third. Against USMMA starter Justus Martin, CSI was able to get even via a sacrifice fly by George Kantzian to score Frank Sconzo who had walked earlier. From there, CSI added five more runs, all with two out. The biggest strike came on a bases-loaded triple by Greg Manassa, giving CSI a commanding 4-1 lead. Manassa was then plated by a Phil Ciprello single, and right after, Frank Muzzio stroked a double into right field to plate Ciprello and give the Dolphins a 6-1 edge.
CSI never trailed from there, but the Mariners did put a dent into the lead. With CSI up, 7-1, the Mariners put up three big runs in the sixth inning. T.J. Mulligan came in to relieve Bernstein but allowed a two-RBU double to Matthew Thompson that closed the lead to 7-4. Mulligan was able to settle down and record two strikeouts to end the inning, escaping further damage.
The Dolphins then were able to get some insurance back in the sixth inning as well off of reliever John Kelley, Jr. A Joe Palmeri double helped plate Frank Sconzo, and Palmeri was then chased on a Frank Smith sac fly, making it 9-5.
The Mariners notched two runs in the eighth inning to make it 9-6, aided by CSI’s fourth error in the field when Jason Failla came in to relieve Mulligan. Failla finished strong, however, and in the ninth inning was able to work out of a jam to preserve the win.
Both teams scattered 10 hits in the game. Muzzio scored a three-hit game for CSI, adding an RBI. Sconzo in the leadoff spot went 2-2 with three runs scored and three walks, while Palmeri went 2-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Bryson Campbell went 3-4 for the Mariners. Bernstein took the win to improve to 2-0 on the season, going 5.1 innings, yielding four runs (three earned) on seven hits, fanning one. Martin took the loss, going only three innings allowing six runs (only one earned) on four hits.
CSI will return to action on Saturday afternoon at 12 Noon, when they face New York University at the CSI Baseball Complex for a single, 9-inning, game.
