It took 10 innings instead of the scheduled seven, and in the end Baruch College was able to score a 9-6 win over the College of Staten Island baseball team, breaking the Dolphins’ season-long 10 game winning streak. The second game of the scheduled doubleheader was canceled due to rain. The Bearcats improved to 12-14 overall, while the Dolphins fell to 20-8-1. To make up for the lost game today the two teams will play a doubleheader tomorrow instead of a single game.
It was a game of swinging momentum and at first it belonged solely to the Dolphins, who built a 5-0 lead in this one. CSI was the visiting team on their own field, and they were able to plate three runs in the first inning off of BC starter Paul Sirakowski.
Frank Sconzo started by earning a walk and the bases loaded with singles from Anthony DiMarco and Nick Meola. Frank Muzzio then drew a walk to open the scoring and then Glenn Glennerster laced a single to left to make it 2-0. Baruch finally registered an out on a Josh Mercado fielder’s choice, but Meola came in to round out the first stanza scoring.
While CSI starter Tom Musso plugged along, CSI added another two runs in the third inning to take a commanding, 5-0, lead. This time, a Jett Nouvertne two-RBI bases-loaded single did the trick.
After four innings, Baruch had stranded runners in every inning, but they finally found a way in the fifth against Musso. After a single and two straight walks the bases were loaded, and Baruch then got a clutch infield single from Edwin St. Hilaire to put the Bearcats on the board. With still no outs, Mendoza then singled in another two runs, spelling Musso with the score, 5-3. Terrance Mulligan took over, but Angel Acevedo notched a two-RBI single to plate the remaining base runners, tying the game. Mulligan squeezed out of the inning but the score was 5-5.
Both teams stranded runners in the sixth, but in the seventh, there was plenty of drama. In the top half, Bobby Drake started off with a one-out triple, and he was promptly plated by a Jordan Wilson RBI fielder’s choice. CSI now had a 6-5 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.
Facing closer Jason Failla, Mendoza drew a one-out walk and then proceeded to steal second. He would then advance to third on a fly ball. Needing a hit now, BC got one with a two-out single from Acevedo, making it 6-6 before Failla retired the final out to send it to extra innings.
Neither team would register in the eighth or ninth innings, but in the 10th CSI got a double from DiMarco to put a runner in scoring position. CSI couldn’t push him in however, as Meola would fly out foul and Muzzio flied out to center.
Failla fell into trouble though in the 10th, walking Mike McGroarty and then Dan Daley, but that wasn’t the dagger. Instead it was St. Hilaire who fired the fatal shot, taking Failla deep to left field for a game-ending three-run home run in walk-off fashion.
Baruch finished with a 13-11 edge in hits.Daley went 3-5 in the win with two runs scored while St. Hilaire finished 2-6 with 4 RBI and two runs scored. Nicholas D’Angelo picked up the win in relief, going 4.2 innings, yielding a run on three hits. Failla suffered the loss. DiMarco went 3-4 with a run scored while Drake and Nouvertne added two hits each.
The Dolphins and Bearcats will lock up again tomorrow for a doubleheader, this time with CSI serving as the home side beginning at Noon.
