UNIONDALE, NY – The College of Staten Island baseball team hosted its first East Coast Conference (ECC) matchup of the season against Molloy University on Saturday afternoon.

The Dolphins dropped both games of the doubleheader to the Lions, falling to 3-9 overall and 0-4 in conference play.

Game One: MOL 23, CSI 11

The Lions struck early in the opening inning, plating three runs to take an immediate lead over the Dolphins. CSI was held scoreless until the fifth inning, but Molloy had already created significant separation with an eight-run top of the third to build a 16-2 advantage.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Dolphins sparked a two-out rally to chip away at the deficit. Michael Flashner singled to start the rally before Jason Romance launched his second home run in two days, driving in two. Jandel Brito and Ryan Ortega followed with singles to keep the inning alive, setting up RBI hits from Jack Kehoe and Julian Velazquez to cut the score to 16-5.

CSI continued to apply pressure over the next two innings, holding the Lions scoreless while adding another run on an RBI single by Ortega to make it 16-6. Despite the momentum shift, Molloy added five runs in the top of the eighth inning. The Dolphins answered with five of their own in the bottom half.

Brandon Bartick led off the inning with a single, and Christopher Reilly and Patrick Hassle followed with base hits to load the bases with one out. Vincent Weigele and Velazquez each delivered RBI hits to bring the Dolphins within 21-11 before the inning came to a close with one frame remaining.

Molloy added two more runs in the final inning to secure the 23-11 victory.

Weigele and Velazquez each finished with three RBI in the opener. Weigele went 3-4 at the plate, while Velazquez finished 2-5. Flashner also went 3-4, and both Romance and Ortega recorded two RBI.

Game Two: MOL 14, CSI 5

Molloy carried its offensive momentum into the second game, scoring three runs in the opening frame to take a 3-0 lead. After adding another run in the third inning, the Dolphins responded in the bottom half to pull within striking distance. Bartick opened the inning with a single, setting the stage for Flashner to blast his first home run of the season, a two-run shot that cut the deficit to 4-2.

The Lions answered by extending their lead with three runs in the fourth inning and two more in the sixth while holding the Dolphins scoreless. Molloy added five runs in the seventh to create further separation.

CSI mounted one final push in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with one out and scoring three runs, but the rally fell short as the Lions secured the 14-5 win to complete the doubleheader sweep.

Bartick finished game two 2-3 with two runs scored. Flashner went 2-4 with a home run and two RBI, while Michael Furst started on the mound and recorded four strikeouts over 4.0 innings pitched.

The College of Staten Island returns to non-conference action on Tuesday, March 17, traveling to Garden City, NY to face Adelphi University in a single game scheduled for 3:30 PM.

GAME REPLAY