Head Coach Frank Catalanotto on NYIT’s rapid ascension in his first season pic.twitter.com/le2EN2ND3e
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 18, 2019
One year ago, NYIT closed out their regular season with a loss to Queens College to finish their campaign at 13-25-1.
On June 7th, they made waves by hiring 14-year MLB veteran and Smithtown native Frank Catalanotto. The move was a positive step forward for a program that had suffered through 13 straight sub .500 seasons.
In less than one year, the program has rapidly ascended into becoming a 35-win team that will now participate in the NCAA Division-II Super Regional next weekend either at Southern New Hampshire or neighborhood-rival LIU Post. The 35 wins is a program record, previously set in 1987.
Today they continued their fairy tale story with a 6-3 victory over Wilmington University, a 40-win powerhouse, which was their second victory against them in three days. It was a remarkable game as they rallied for a three-run eighth inning following relinquishing a 3-1 lead in the top of the inning.
Thursday’s starter, DJ Masuck, came on in relief on one-day rest after throwing 134 pitches, to record the save and send the Bears into a dogpile near the mound.
The offense, which has been outstanding all season staked Chris Mott to an early 3-0 lead thanks to an RBI double by Matt DeAngelis and a fielder’s choice off the bat of Matt Malone and a sac fly by Ben McNeill.
NYIT does it ! They defeat Wilmington, 6-3, and are heading to the NCAA Super Regional next weekend! pic.twitter.com/ik5rYWu8ch
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 18, 2019
Mott had the Wilmington bats flummoxed for the first five innings, yielding just one hit but ran into trouble in the sixth, as he allowed an RBI double to Kendall Small. After a couple of walks, Dean Fazah came on in relief with the bases loaded and the tying run on second base. Fazah escaped unscathed with a fly out to right on a 3-1 count.
In the eighth, the Wildcats tied it up on a sac fly to center and an infield single to third.
Rather than panic, the Bears went back to work with the bats in the bottom of the eighth inning, scoring three runs on a fielder’s choice by Ryan Kuskowski and RBI hits by DeAngelis and Malone.
In the ninth, Masuck was summoned. He allowed a single and a hit by pitch on a full count but coaxed a chopper to first base to seal the deal and sent the crowd into a frenzy.
If LIU Post holds off Southern New Hampshire it would make for an incredible weekend next week with two local rivals squaring off in a best-of-three Super Regional for an opportunity to play in the College World Series.
