After taking a 5-0 lead, the College of Staten Island baseball team failed to hold on, dropping an 11-5 decision to No. 25 Kean University as part of non-conference play in Union, NJ. The loss dipped the Dolphins to 6-3, while the Cougars improved to 12-7.
Thing could not have started any better for CSI in this one, as a Frank Muzzio RBI-double and a Nick Meola single helped CSI pull ahead 2-0 against Kean starter Christopher Rossi, before the Cougars even got to swing the bat.
After CSI starter Christian Capellan got through the first with the help of a double play, CSI added another run on a Bobby Drake single scoring Frank Sconzo for the second time in the game giving CSI a 3-0 edge. Then, in the third inning against KU reliever Dylan Colaterra, Meola laced a homerun to start the inning, and later a wild pitch with two men on chased Anthony DiMarco home, giving CSI the nice cushion, 5-0.
After three frames CSI had the edge but things would soon turn sour. Capellan hit a snag in the fourth, allowing four hits as Kean would plate three runs back to pull to 5-3, highlighted by a leadoff double from Matt Krupa. In the fifth inning, Kean struck again, this time with a two-run double by Nick Polizzano to knot the score at 5-5.
After a scoreless sixth frame, play moved to the seventh, and Kean was able to load the bases with two out. A Brock Podgurski infield single scored a run and then two more came in on a throwing error opening the KU lead to 8-5. One at-bat later, Nik Fraim uncorked a homerun to left field, giving the Cougars full control, 10-5.
The Cougars would add an insurance marker in the 8th to accept the final 11-5 margin of victory. Kean won the hit statistic, 13-9, as Podgurski led the way going 4-4 at the dish. Mike Occhi got the win in relief, tossing 5.1 scoreless innings of relief, walking two and fanning a pair while allowing no hits. Capellan took the loss after 6.2 innings of work.
CSI will be right back to work tomorrow, taking on William Paterson University on the road at 3:30pm for a single contest.
