Staten Island, NY | in a battle that featured the East Coast Conference's two newest members, the College of Staten Island won round one of the three game set this weekend over D'Youville College, 10-4, in a single, nine-inning, affair at the CSI Baseball Complex. CSI overturned their four-game skid, advancing to 4-14 overall and 4-12 in ECC play, while D'Youville fell to 2-20, 0-16, respectively.
Despite the final, CSI had to come from behind to score the win in this one, tallying all of their runs in the middle innings to overturn what was a 3-0 hole.
Two of the Saints' three runs came in their turn of the first, as the visitors registered four hits against CSI starter
Nick Metzger. The power shot was a two-RBI double from Shane Critelli which hit the bottom footer of the wall in left field. CSI, however, would turn a double play to end the threat there, down by the pair. After DYC starter Alex Dzimian worked quickly to retire CSI in the first three innings as he made his way around the CSI batting order, the visitors added a digit in the fourth. After Matt Guenther walked, he was able to come around and score on a Nate Mucci long single, which got away from CSI centerfielder
Bryan Birkhead on a wicked hop that he was unable to play cleanly, making it a 3-0 hole for CSI after three and a half innings.
In their second turn around the order, however, CSI started to find their bats. In the bottom of the fourth,
Peter Lombardo would start things off with a single, and he was moved to third thanks to a lined shot to right-center by
Angel Santiago.
Thomas Joyce would ground out but would force home Lombardo to make it 2-1, before
Salvatore Trancucci IV would post a sac fly to chase in Santiago before Dzimian wiggled away from trouble.
Metzger worked quickly in his turn of the fifth, and that's when CSI finished what it started in the fourth.
Nick Cippoletti started things off with a lead off triple, and then
Thomas Marten added an RBI-double to tie the game.
Shendi Ulaj continued the hit parade with another double, scoring Marten to make it 4-3. Lombardo followed with a double, scoring Ulaj, and then Lomardo got to third on a dropped fly ball off of the bat of Santiago that placed him at second base. After an out was registered, Trancucci doubled in both Lombardo and Santiago to chase Dzimian from the game with CSI in control at 7-3. Jared Glowinski was able to get out of the inning, but not before surrendering a RBI-double to
Louie Mandile, plating Trancucci to make it 8-3.
CSI's Metzger pitched a scoreless sixth, and after
Steven Collica came on in relief for another scoreless seventh, CSI added two insurance tallies in their turn of the seventh, with Birkhead delivering the highlight blow, a two-RBI double that plated Trancucci, who singled, and Santiago, was was plunked. DYC was able to grab back one of the runs in their turn of the ninth but it was hardly enough as CSI took the game 10-4 after trailing early.
Metzger's final line in the win was six innings pitched allowing three runs (two earned) on 10 hits, fanning three. Dzimian took the loss, going 4.1 innings, allowing eight runs (six earned) on 10 hits, also fanning three. Both teams put up 13 hits in total. CSI was led by Marten, Lombardo, Santiago, Trancucci, and Birkhead, who all tallied two hits, with Trancucci posting three RBI and a pair of runs scored. Josh Battaglia for DYC had the only three-hit game, going 3-5.
The two teams will play a doubleheader tomorrow at 12 Noon at the CSI Baseball Complex to complete their three-game weekend series.
GAME VIDEO
