Union, NJ | The College of Staten Island baseball team dropped their second-straight contest and in overwhelming fashion this afternoon on the road, falling hard to non-conference Kean University, 11-0. CSI, in their first true road game of the season, fell to 4-5 overall, while the Cougars lifted to 11-5.
Having won 11-straight in the series, Kean wasted no time getting on the board in this one, using a four-run third inning to take a 5-0 lead after three frames, adding another four-spot in the fifth and another pair in the seventh to do the offensive damage, while four Cougars pitchers combined for the shutout.
After stranding a runner at third base in the first inning, Kean struck first in the second with a single swing of the bat, as Zachary Marzano scorched a line drive to right-center field, legging out an inside-the-park home run to give KU the 1-0 lead off of CSI starter Kevin Ryan.
Ryan would get out of the rest of the second inning unscathed, but the Cougars did a host of damage in the third inning after CSI went quietly in their turn against KU starter Frank LoGuidice.
With two outs and a runner on, LoGuidice helped his own cause with an RBI-single to make it 2-0, and he was plated promptly after stealing second and being chased in on a John Carello RBI base hit. After Marzano got to second and moved Carello to third with another hit, Phil Marcantonio made things hurt with a two-run sot to right-center, chasing Ryan from the game, but not before Kean had the 5-0 advantage.
Kean got four more runs in the fifth on the benefit of just three hits, aided by a bases-loaded hit by pitch and walk, and then RBI singles by Mike Perone and Zach Joe.
Down 11-0 later, CSI did threaten in the eighth inning when the Dolphins tallied a pair of hits, but a double-play and then a fly-out with a runner on base ended the threat.
Kean out-hit CSI, 18-4. LoGuidice scored the win to improve to 3-1 this season, going six solid frames, allowing just two hits while fanning four. Ryan (0-1) took the loss, tossing 2.2 innings, allowing five runs on five hits. Jett Nouvertne had two of the Dolphins’ four hits, while KU got a big day at the dish from Tim Huxen (3-5, four RBI), Marzano (3-4, three runs scored and an RBI), and Marcantonio (3-3, two RBI and a run scored).
CSI will look to put the tough loss behind them, as they will get right back to action tomorrow afternoon at the CSI Baseball Complex for a single, 4pm, affair with the College of Mount Saint Vincent. Although CSI has played home games this season, it will be their first game on their own field, as rehabilitative work to the infield was recently completed.
