Staten Island, NY | The College of Staten Island baseball team split the day after dropping their opening game to John Jay, 15-11. The Dolphins rallied in the second game of the night with a 19-11 win over Finlandia to move onto the CUNYAC Championship game against John Jay College.
Game One | John Jay 15, Staten Island 11
The Dolphins spread five runs out over the first three innings to take an early 5-0 lead over the Bloodhounds. CSI scored three of those runs in the bottom of the third inning when Glenn Glennerster hit a 3-run homer over the left field wall to bring home Sean Becker and Nick Meola. CSI couldn’t capitalize on that momentum as their scoring would be halted for four straight innings while the Bloodhounds would burst out with a 9-run fifth inning.
The inning didn’t start off well for the Dolphins as Meyer reached on a lead-off error. Tom Musso loaded the bases with a pair of walks before Diaz crushed one over the right-field wall for a grand slam that brought the Bloodhounds right back into the game. John Jay built off of that momentum and continued to pile on runs. Osborne hit a 2 RBI inside the park home run to give John Jay the lead.
Staten Island’s bats remained quiet while John Jay stayed hot and didn’t settle for their four-run lead. John Jay scored at least one run in each of the last five innings, squashing the Dolphins’ late-game surge.
CSI put forth a strong effort to rally and take the lead but they fell just short, scoring six runs in the bottom of the eighth. The inning was highlighted by a 2 RBI double to left center by Becker to bring the Dolphins within three of the Bloodhounds. With one more at-bat, CSI put two men on but was unable to bring them home as John Jay got revenge from earlier in the season and defeated the Dolphins.
Glennerster led all Dolphins with 3 RBI on 2-of-5 hitting while Becker also went 2-for-5 with 2 RBI and a pair of runs. Tom Musso started the game for the Dolphins and pitched four innings, giving up four runs, three earned, and struck out five before being replaced by Juan Rodriguez.
Game Two | Staten Island 19, Finlandia 11
It was another high scoring affair for the Dolphins in game two. After scoring 11 runs in game one, the Dolphins had to up their total in game two to surpass their opponents and they did just that. After trailing early in the game, the cardiac kids were not about to throw in the towel and rallied their way back into the lead where they held it for good.
Chris Karnbach got the start on the mound for the Dolphins and pitched 5.2 innings and allowed eight runs, six earned while striking out eight. Derek Jentz (3-2) came in to replace Karnbach and earned the win after throwing 3.1 innings and allowing just three runs.
This time it was their opponents that jumped out to an early lead as the Lions scored six runs in the top of the second, using five hits to do so. A Loya 2 RBI homer over the left field wall ignited the Lions’ bench and began the six run scoring spree. Krug later in the same inning, belted the ball over the left field wall to score three runs to double their runs.
CSI answered back with three runs, cutting Finlandia’s lead in half. Frank Muzzio got the Dolphins started with a double to center field. Muzzio would go on to set the CSI all-time record with doubles in a game with four after he finished the game 5-for-5 with 3 RBI and four runs. Anthony Lozada got the Dolphins on the board with an RBI single up the middle. An error would extend the inning and allow the Dolphins to cross two more runs.
Staten Island tied the game up in the bottom of the fifth after scoring a pair in the bottom of the third with an RBI double by Muzzio. CSI then followed that 1-run inning with a 6-run explosion in the sixth to take the lead away from Finlandia for the first time all night. A pair of errors would aid the Dolphins’ rally as they scored six runs on five hits. Jordan Wilson scored John Pomarico with a single to right field which was followed by an Anthony DiMarco RBI single down the left field line. Lozada capped the inning with a 2 RBI single up the middle to the cheers of the Dolphins fans as they took the lead.
In front by just a pair of runs, CSI matched their run total from the sixth inning and added six more runs to keep the Lions at bay to punch their ticket to the CUNYAC Championship game in a rematch against John Jay College.
The Dolphins swept the Bloodhounds earlier in the regular season and will have to do it again if they want to raise the trophy for the fourth straight year.
Lozada paced the Dolphins with 4 RBI in the game on 3-of-5 hitting while Jett Nouvertne also tallied 4 RBI on 1-of-3 hitting.
POST GAME INTERVIEW
GAME VIDEO
