CSI Celebrates Renaming of their Field with 10-3 Win over CCNY

On a day when the College of Staten Island would honor former President Tomas D. Morales with the renaming of the baseball field in his honor, the Dolphins ran to their sixth straight win, turning back visiting City College of New York by a 10-3 count. CSI, which has now won 13 of their last 15 games, improved to 18-9, while the Beavers fell to 3-19.

Prior to first pitch, current CSI President William Fritz, helped to unveil the new plaque at the field parallel to the first base side dugout, commemorating the renaming of the CSI Baseball Complex to the Tomas D. Morales Baseball Field. Dr. Morales was on hand to greet the crowd and lend words, and was then greeted by current baseball senior and catcher Bryan Moreno, who gave a short speech and then gave Dr. Morales an autographed team cap prior to catching Dr. Morales’ first pitch in the newly named ballpark.

When festivities were over, CSI raced out to a 3-0 cushion in the game’s first inning. The runs were unearned, as CCNY committed two errors behind starter Andrew Mulvey. Freshman Joseph Cespuglio laced a two-RBI double to do the bulk of the damage, when the inning was extended because of the fielding miscues.

From there, CCNY did chip away, forcing a tie game with a run in the third, fourth and fifth innings off of CSI starter John Baggs. Kennedy Tavares, who finished 3-4 at the plate, posted an RBI-single in the third to get it to 3-1. In the fourth, an RBI double by Yoribaldis Olivo accounted for the run, and in the fifth CSI committed two errors on the same play to allow another run to cross, tying the game.

Quiet for the last three innings, the CSI bats picked up again in their turn of the fifth. Dan Lynch started the frame with a bunt single, and after stealing second and being moved over, he came in to score on a Will DiFede sac fly. Later, with runners on second and third, senior Robert Bernardo blasted a two-RBI double to center field, giving CSI back their three run lead, 6-3.

Mulvey was able to escape the inning, but CSI had more damage to be done in the sixth. James Lewis screamed a double to start the barrage and then went to third on a Lynch single. Then, when Lynch stole second, Lewis bolted from third base and was able to score, making it 7-3. With Lynch now at second, Moreno smacked an RBI-single to plate him. After registering another out, Mulvey was lifted for reliever Anthony Colon, who would face DiFede with the bases loaded. DiFede won the battle, lacing a two-RBI double to open the game to 10-3.

Then, CSI closed the door with exceptional pitching. Baggs made a nice exit by tossing a scoreless seventh, and then Michael Van Pelt and John Pignatelli worked an inning each to seal the win.

Baggs took the win, going seven strong innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits, fanning seven. Mulvey took the loss, going 5.2, allowing 10 runs (seven earned) on 9 hits, fanning five. At the dish, Moreno, Cespuglio, David Carles, and Lynch each tallied two hits.

Today’s CSI-CCNY tilt did not count towards the CUNYAC standings. The two teams face off again tomorrow in a doubleheader at Randall’s Island, beginning at 12 Noon, in the two games that will count towards the conference standings.