BASEBALL TAKES NAILBITER OVER JOHN JAY TO COMPLETE WEEKEND SET

The College of Staten Island men’s baseball team used a pair of come-from-behind wins yesterday to take a doubleheader against John Jay College, and did it once again this afternoon as well, overturning a deficit in the seventh inning to take a tight, 9-8, win over the visiting Bloodhounds to complete the three-game weekend set. The Dolphins have now won four straight, extending to 16-9 overall this season, while JJC fell to 2-16. The game today did not count towards the CUNYAC standings.

John Jay got off to the early lead, scoring as pair of runs off of CSI starter Joseph Fiori. Luca Altamirano came around to score after earning on via error, and later, a Billy Moran single plated Dennis Lopez, who walked earlier in the frame. When CSI came to bat, the home squad cut the lead in half, when Joseph Palmeri doubled home Bryan Moreno off of JJC starter Nico Rivera.

CSI took the lead in the next inning, touching Rivera for a pair of runs. A Phil Ciprello single plated John Baggs, and on the next play, Ciprello was caught in a run down between first and second base trying to steal. In the meantime, Michael Milazzo took off from third base and scored the go-ahead run, making in 3-2 Dolphins after two frames.

The game then teetered back-and-forth from there. Ron Barillas singled home Altamirano to tie the score at 3-3 in the third, and then the Bloodhounds took the lead on a passed ball that allowed Dennis Lopez to score. Down 4-3, CSI fought back in their turn of the third. First, a Will DiFede single plated Palmeri who singled and stole second base to open the frame. Two batters later and with DiFede at third, a John Baggs sac bunt scored DiFede, and after three, CSI was back in charge, 4-3.

That lead also wouldn’t last past an inning, as JJC chased Fiore for Mike Van Pelt after scoring another pair of runs, highlighted by a Lopez RBI-single that gave the hounds back the lead, 5-4. That lead would last, however, as CSI stranded a pair of runners through the next three innings.

The Dolphins, however, struck hard in the seventh. Two batters in, a Chris Ramanauskas double plated Palmeri, who was plunked to start things off. That chased Rivera, who had settled sown nicely but left the game with the score tied, 5-5, and Ramanauskas at second base. Trevor Johnson then walked Will DiFede and hit Robert Bernardo, loading the bases. Milazzo was next up, and the frosh hit a deep ball to shortstop, and even though JJC registered an out on the play, two runners came in for CSI making the score 7-5.

Nick Gioia laced an RBI-single for JJC in the 8th, prompting CSI lifting Van Pelt for Kieran Monaghan. CSI then got a big insurance run in their turn of the eighth with a Ramanauskas sac fly. Finally, in the top of the ninth and down by two, JJC got their lead-off batter on base via walk, and CSI went to bullpen again with Anthony Storz. With runners at second and third and one out, Storz allowed a sac fly RBI by Billy Moran, but with two out Storz got Steve Donato to fly out to end the game.

JJC out-hit CSI, 14-13 in the contest. Will DiFede was the offensive catalyst for CSI, going 3-4 with an RBI and a pair of runs scored. Van Pelt took the win for CSI, going four innings of relief, allowing a lone earned run on eight hits, fanning three. Storz picked up the one inning save. Rivera took the loss, tossing six innings, allowing seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits, striking out two.

CSI will be back in action on Tuesday, April 9, playing host to Manhattanville College in a single nine-inning affair at the CSI Baseball Complex at 5:00pm.