Wayne, NJ | After falling behind early, the College of Staten Island baseball team rallied back only to surrender a couple of big innings late in an ultimate, 15-7, loss at the hands of William Paterson University. The win by the Pioneers lifted the home side to 12-4, while the Dolphins fell to 5-9.
In a game highlighted by big innings, the home team got on the board early, as CSI starter Joseph Decelie struggled with control. Without the benefits of a hit, WPU loaded the bags in the second inning all via the walk, and Decelie would walk Danny Carter and Mike Grasso allowing the first two runs to score before getting out of a jam in the second.
CSI would get one back in the top of the third against WPU starter Jordan Manne when Andrew Nathan, who singled to lead the frame, came in to score on an Anthony Lozada ground-out, but again WPU surged ahead when they plated another pair of runs in the their turn of the third, highlighted by a Matt Ferrara single and a sac fly by Vin Dorio.
From there, however, Decelie settled nicely, not allowing a hit over the next three innings and keeping CSI within distance at 4-1 going into the sixth inning.
That’s when the bullpens took over, and CSI was the first to inflict hurt. Against WPU reliever Matt Lawler, CSI started with Nathan advancing via error, and after taking third on a wild pitch, he was brought in on a Nicholas Meola single to make it 4-2. With the bases later loaded, Lozada stroked an RBI-single, and then CSI tied the game on WPU’s second error of the inning. Jack DeFouw then entered to lift Lawler, but he yielded a two-RBI base hit to Anthony DiMarco that plated both Nick Falcone and Steven Collica to give CSI a 6-4 lead.
As quickly as they had it, however, CSI surrendered the edge when the Pioneers took advantage of CSI’s bullpen woes. After getting just two hits through five innings, the Pioneers exploded for five hits in the sixth off of CSI reliever Michael Lenahan. Steven DiGirolamo stroked a double, and he tied the game later coming in to score on a sac fly. A pinch-hit single by Carson Weis then plated the go-ahead run, and WPU would add three more in the frame to come out of the inning with a 10-6 lead.
Things would go no better in the seventh, as WPU touched CSI reliever Eric Benedetto for another five runs on five hits in just a third of an inning, as WPU blew the game open, 15-6. Weis’ two-run single was a highlight, building the lead to 14-6 in the middle of the frame.
CSI would add a run in the ninth, as Domenick Castiglione came in from third base via a balk.
Despite the crooked final score, CSI did out-hit WPU, 13-12, highlighted by DiMarco’s 2-for-4 performance with two RBI. Jett Nouvertne, Nathan, Meola, and Collica also had a pair of hits apiece. For WPU, DiGirolamo, Weis, and Grasso (2-4, 3 RBI) all garnered multi-hit games. DeFouw got the win in relief, surrendering only a hit through two innings. Lenahan took the loss.
For CSI, they will look to get right tomorrow, when they host Yeshiva University for a twi-night doubleheader at the CSI Bseball Complex beginning at 5pm.
