Staten Island, NY | The College of Staten Island defeated Yeshiva University in a pair of games behind a record-setting offensive performance in which they scored a combined 45 runs across both games of the doubleheader. The 30-2 game one victory, which saw the Dolphins set a new all-time record for runs scored in a game, improved CSI’s season mark to 6-9. The 15-6 game two win, in which CSI trailed 6-1 before scoring 14 unanswered, brought CSI to 7-9 on the season. The two losses dropped Yeshiva to 1-11.
Game 1 – Staten Island 30, Yeshiva 2
In a game where the Dolphins scored a record-setting 30 runs on 23 hits, CSI defeated Yeshiva University 30-2. Neither team scored in the first before CSI erupted for 15 runs between the second and third innings. Despite the substantial lead, the Dolphins were far from finished as they added 13 runs in the fifth on eleven base hits to increase their lead to 28-1. Seven innings of two-run ball from the Dolphins pitching staff limited Yeshiva to only two hits in the game as CSI cruised to a 28-run victory.
Steven Collica took the mound for the College of Staten Island and gave the Dolphins the longevity that they desperately needed from their starting pitcher after a taxing week for the CSI pitching staff. Collica was able to strand three Maccabee runners over the first two innings before his team gave him all of the run support he would need in the bottom half of the second.
Assisted by a walk, three passed balls, and an error, the Dolphins struck for seven runs on four hits in the second jumping out to a 7-0 lead. Yeshiva scratched across a run in the top of the third, but CSI went right back to work in the bottom half of the inning scoring eight more with the big blow being an Andrew Nathan two-run homer, his first of the season.
Leading 15-1, CSI continued to pour it on in the fifth adding another 13 runs on 11 hits. The first five Dolphins to bat in the inning singled, and the first seven CSI batters reach base. The Maccabees struggled to find an answer to the red-hot CSI bats on the mound, but labored through the inning facing 19 Dolphins before recording the third out.
CSI would go on to add two more in the sixth with one coming on a John Pomarico solo home-run, his first. Perhaps overshadowed by the Dolphins night at the dish was the performance of Steven Collica on the mound. He took the bump in the seventh approaching the 100-pitch looking to cap off a complete game effort. Collica struggled through four batters allowing a run to score behind a leadoff single and three straight walks. He was then relieved by Alexis Santos who made quick work of three straight Maccabees to wrap up a game that will go down in the CSI record books.
In the 30-run effort, eight Dolphins had multiple hits led by Robert Miglino with three base-hits and three runs scored. Nathan drove in five and belted his first home run of the season over the left field wall. Pomarico added his first home-run of the season as well and Jett Nouvernte contributed three more RBI’s that came on his team-leading sixth triple of the year. Collica earned his first win on the mound for CSI while Sonny Braha took the loss for YU. Zachary Baly and Dovie Solomon were the only Maccabees to record hits in a matchup highlighted by CSI’s historic performance at the plate.
Game 2 – Staten Island 15, Yeshiva 6
On the heels of their record-setting game one performance, the Dolphins got off to a very shaky start. The Maccabees plated two in the first while CSI answered with a run of their own in the bottom half. Leading 2-1, YU added four more on only two base hits in the second to take a 6-1 lead. However, it was all Dolphins from that point forward as CSI would strike for 14 unanswered runs over the next four innings on their way to a 15-6 victory.
Dolphins starter Joseph Titta labored early on allowing a leadoff walk and three straight singles to plate a pair. He then appeared to settle in retiring three straight Maccabees to close out the opening frame, two coming on strikeouts. The Dolphins would cut the 2-0 Yeshiva lead in half with a run of their own in the bottom of the first, but the Maccabees would get to Titta once again in the second.
After a single, a hit batter, and a walk loaded the bases, an error brought home the third Yeshiva run. Aryeh Salovey then delivered a well-struck 2-RBI double to put the Maccabees ahead 5-1. Titta then issued his third walk which would spell the end for the Dolphins starter after only 1.1 innings.
Emerging from the dugout to relieve Titta was Alexis Santos who recorded the final three outs of game one. Alex Malech, who reached on a walk, drew a throw from Sean Becker on an attempted steal of second allowing the sixth YU run to score. Santos then quickly retired back-to-back Maccabees to bring an end to the Yeshiva threat with the Dolphins trailing 6-1.
From this point, it would be all CSI as Yeshiva pitching simply could not find the strike zone. Five wild pitches, a balk, and a hit batter allowed the Dolphins to score three runs while recording only a single base hit, drawing to within two. CSI got even in the third on a Nick Falcone single and took the lead for good in the fourth on a Becker double. The Dolphins went on to score four in the fourth to take a 10-6 lead before adding five more in the fifth to make it 15-6.
The Maccabees were shut out the rest of the way by the Dolphins bullpen which put together 5.2 innings off shutout ball. Alexis Santos handled the bulk of that work pitching 3.2 without allowing a single base hit. Christian Capellan and Daniel Garcia each recorded three outs as well securing a sweep of the doubleheader with a 15-6 victory in the nightcap.
Nouvertne and Becker led the way for the Dolphins at the plate combining for four hits, five RBI’s and four runs scored. Coming off a week where the bullpen struggled, CSI’s relief pitching was excellent in both games due in large part to 4.2 innings of no-hit ball thrown by Alexis Santos. For the Maccabees, Aryeh Salovey put together a three-hit game and drove in a pair, but YU didn’t get the effort on the mound necessary to keep them in the game.
The Dolphins are back in action at home on Friday afternoon against CCNY for a single, nine-inning conference matchup. First pitch from the CSI baseball complex is scheduled for 4:00 pm.
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