by Daniel Lopes
It was a busy day of college baseball on Long Island, as 13 teams combined to play 17 games, including six doubleheaders. In total Hofstra, St. John’s, Long Island University, Stony Brook, Fordham, Molloy, Adelphi, Queens, Maritime, Farmingdale State, Old Westbury, St. Joseph’s, and USMMA played.
DIVISION I:
Hofstra 5, Elon University 6
Neither team started the game hot at the plate, as this game went scoreless for the first three innings. Elon struck first in the bottom of the fourth, when Luke Stephenson scored on an obstruction call at third base, giving Elon the lead. They scored the rest of their five runs over the next four innings, including a three- run fifth inning. The highlights included a two-run single from Parker Haskin, a sacrifice fly from Samuel Frontino, and an RBI double from Cole Reynolds.
Hofstra’s bats woke up in the sixth inning, as they scored three runs in the inning to cut the deficit to 5-3. Brian Morrell scored on a throwing error from Luke Stephenson and Anthony D’Onofrio hit a two-run single.
They continued to battle in the seventh and eighth innings, as Jake Liberatore hit an RBI single and Nick Marrero hit a pinch-hit solo home run in the eighth to cut Elon’s lead to 6-5. However, they could not complete the comeback, as three straight batters struck out with a runner on second in the top of the ninth to end the game.
Tristan Nemjo took the loss for Hofstra, and Brian Edgington took the win for Elon, with Ben Simon earning the save.
St. John’s 7, Quinnipiac 3
Quinnipiac started the scoring for this game, as Kyle Maves scored on a groundout after leading off the game by reaching on a throwing error by St. John’s shortstop, Kevin Michaels. Michaels made up for his error in the bottom of the first, driving in Jackson Tucker on a groundout to tie the game. St. John’s took the lead on the next batter, as Colin Wetterau hit an RBI double.
The teams continued to go back and forth in the third inning, combining to score five runs. Quinnipiac took the lead back with a two-run double from Ian Ostberg. However, St. John’s got those runs back and more in the bottom half, scoring three of their own. Tucker scored on another groundout, and Nick Cirelli hit a two-run single.
Tucker caused some more havoc on the bases in the fourth inning, stealing third base and scoring on a throwing error. Cirelli also continued his impressive day, driving in Carlos Hidalgo with an RBI double to give St. John’s a 7-3 lead.
After allowing the three early runs, Joe Joe Rodriguez shut down the Quinnipiac bats. He pitched a total of seven innings, only allowing six hits and striking out four. He got the win for St. John’s on the mound, while Kevin Seitter was tagged with the loss for Quinnipiac.
LIU 6, Bryant 4
After two scoreless innings, LIU got the scoring going with three runs in the third inning. Giovanni Ciaccio walked and Michael Edelman reached on a single, with both of them scoring on a throwing error from Bryant pitcher Jared Burrows. The next batter, Luke Turner, drove in EJ Exposito with a sacrifice fly to give them the early 3-0 lead.
Bryant immediately responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the third inning. Jackson Phinney started the scoring with a home run, and Alex Lane and Matt Woods hit back to back RBI singles. Logan Allen finished the scoring, drawing a bases loaded walk to give them a 4-3 lead.
After a combined 7 runs in the third innings, both teams went quiet for the next four innings. LIU finally broke the stalemate in the eighth inning, scoring three runs and giving them the lead they would maintain for the rest of the game. Connor Price tied the game with a pinch-hit RBI double, and Seth Surrett gave them the lead with a bases clearing two-run triple. They kept the bats quiet, as Nick Torres shut Bryant down in the eighth and ninth innings for the save.
Nick Desalvo earned the win for LIU and Christian Allegretti took the loss for Bryant.
Stony Brook 6, Maine 2
Stony Brook wasted no time getting on the board, as Shane Paradine drove in Evan Fox with a double in the top of the first inning. After that, it became a pitchers duel, as both starters kept the bats quiet in their time on the mound. Brandon Lashley went into the sixth inning, only allowing one run on five hits with three strikeouts. After the first inning double, Caleb Leys settled in for Maine, pitching five innings and striking out three batters, only allowing the one run.
Both teams scored in the sixth inning, as Evan Giordano drove in Matt Miceli with a sacrifice fly to give Stony Brook a 2-0 lead. Maine responded, as Jeremiah Jenkins hit a home run, the sole run allowed by Lashley in his outing and cutting the Stony Brook lead to one.
In the eighth inning, Stony Brook broke out, scoring four runs of insurance. Fox hit an RBI double, Giordano drove in Fox with a single, and Matt Brown-Eiring capped off the rally with a two-run home run. Jeff Mejia hit an RBI single in the ninth inning for Maine, but it wasn’t enough, as Colton Book locked up the win for Stony Brook.
Leys took the loss for Maine, while Lashley got the win for Stony Brook and Book got the three inning save.
Fordham 8, Monmouth 5
Fordham started the scoring in this game, with Zach Selinger hitting an RBI single to give them an early 1-0 lead. Monmouth retaliated in their next at-bats, as Joey Ventresca tied the game with a solo home run.
Fordham took complete control of the game, scoring six unanswered runs over five innings to give them a 7-1 lead. Cian Sahler was great in this stretch, scoring two runs, on top of adding an RBI single and an RBI double. He finished the game going 3-4 with two RBI’s. Sebastian Mexico added an RBI single, and Casey Brown put the exclamation point on this stretch, hitting a two-run home run in the sixth inning.
Monmouth finally answered back in the seventh, scoring three runs on a two-run single from Colin McCreary and an RBI double from Casey Caufield to cut Fordham’s lead down to 7-4. Fordham got a run back in the bottom of the seventh, as Selinger hit his second RBI single of the day, this time driving in Jake Guercio. Alex Barker hit a solo home run for Monmouth, but it wasn’t enough, as Fordham closed out the win with Ben Kovel earning the save in the ninth inning.
Gabe Karslo got the win for Fordham, and Dan Klepchick got the loss for Monmouth.
DIVISION II
Molloy 8, Lincoln University 4
Other than an early run from both teams within the first three innings, most of the scoring in this game was done in the later innings. Molloy broke the 1-1 tie in the sixth inning when Vincent Pecora stole third and scored on a throwing error. Later in the inning, Matt Overton hit a two-run home run to give Molloy the 4-1 lead.
They continued to add onto the lead in the seventh inning, with Pecora once again sparking the rally with a single and stolen base. Thomas Brady drove him in with an RBI single, and Peter Theodrellis scored on a fielding error in the next at-bat.
Lincoln fought back in the eighth inning, scoring three runs to cut Molloy’s lead to 6-4. Two runners scored on a single and error by Alex Jones. Jones later scored on a groundout from Wesley Hogan. Molloy got some insurance runs in the ninth, thanks to an RBI double from Overton and a run-scoring balk. Brian Morrissey kept Lincoln’s bats quiet in the ninth, earning the save.
Charlie Cucchiara earned the win for Molloy, pitching eight innings and striking out four batters. Josiah Lara took the loss for Lincoln.
Molloy 8, Lincoln University 2 (7 Innings)
Matt Overton picked up right where he left off in the first game, scoring Molloy’s first two runs of the game with RBI singles in the first and third innings. He came across to score in the third on a single from Patrick Hoffman, giving Molloy a 3-0 lead.
Lincoln broke the shutout in the fourth inning, as CarVonte Williams hit an RBI single. Molloy answered back in a big way in the sixth inning, scoring five runs to put the game out of reach. Anthony Manisero drew a walk with the bases loaded, then Thomas Brady and Hoffman both hit two-run singles to give Molloy the 8-1 lead. Lincoln scored a run in the seventh inning on a wild pitch, but it wasn’t enough as Molloy earned the doubleheader sweep.
Mike Andreoli held Lincoln in check on the mound for Molloy, pitching five innings and earning the win. Gabriel Sanchez got tagged with the loss for Lincoln.
Adelphi 4, American International College 0 (7 Innings)
After a scoreless first inning for both teams, Adelphi controlled this game until the end. Alex Rende started the scoring for Adelphi in the second inning, driving in Tim Feliz with an RBI double. They scored another run in the fifth inning on an RBI single from Michael Draskin.
They continued the scoring in the sixth, adding on two more runs. Rende got his second RBI of the game, this time driving in Jack Ryan with a triple. Rende came across on the next batter, scoring on an RBI single from Cooper Johnson.
While the offense performed well, scoring four runs on 13 hits, the pitching was even better for Adelphi. Nicolas Luc was dominant on the mound, pitching a complete game, striking out seven and only allowing three hits. He got the win while Mason St. Pierre took the loss for American International.
Adelphi 10, American International College 3 (7 Innings)
The offense stayed hot for Adelphi, this time putting together an eight run inning in the bottom of the second to give them an big early lead. Anthony Cipri got the scoring going, hitting a two-run single. After that, Matt Alifano added a two-run double, and Kyle Olson hit an RBI single. Jack Ryan got the biggest hit in the inning for Adelphi, hitting a three-run home run to give them the 8-0 lead.
After Adelphi scored another run in the third inning on a wild pitch, American International got on the board for the first time of the day, as Alejandro Mosquera hit a solo home run. Adelphi immediately responded back, scoring a run of their own on a home run from Jose Matos to give them a 10-1 lead.
Mosquera continued his impressive day for American International, hitting a two-run double in the sixth inning, but that was all the offense that they could get on the day. Adelphi’s pitching once again controlled the game, this time in a group effort from Michael Storms, Jacob Dannenberg, Nick Gavilla and Steven Murphy. Dannenberg got the win, pitching three innings and only allowing one run. Adrian Quinonez took the loss for American International.
Queens 8, D,Youville University 6
D’Youville got on the board first, taking an early lead when Alex Dzimian scored on a groundout from Jeremy Glinski. Queens answered in the third inning, taking the lead back on a two-run home run from Lou Antos.
Most of the offense occurred in the later innings, as both teams combined to score 10 runs between the sixth inning and the eighth inning. Queens took a two run lead in the top of the sixth on a wild pitch and a bases loaded walk from Antos. D’Youville got right back on top, scoring three runs of their own on an RBI double from Alec Boucher and two runs on a throwing error from Joseph Leone.
While D’Youville slowed down, only scoring one more run, Queens continued to battle, scoring four runs in the seventh and eighth innings and taking an 8-6 lead. Matt Filip came up big off of the bench, hitting an RBI double and an RBI single and scoring a run of his own on a wild pitch. Reed Hoskins scored the last of the four runs, coming across on a sacrifice fly from Marc Cisco.
Liam Pulsipher shut the door on D’Youville, only allowing one run over the last three innings of the game and getting the save. Dean Fazah earned the win for Queens and Zach Penner got the loss for D’Youville.
Queens 5, D’Youville University 4 (7 Innings)
Much like the first game of the doubleheader, most of the action happened in the later innings. Queens scored first in the fourth inning, with Brad Sakellarides scoring on a throwing error from D’Youville. They added another run in the fifth inning as Lou Antos hit his second home run of the day, this time a solo shot.
Queens’ offense kept attacking in the sixth inning, this time scoring three runs to extend their lead to 5-0. Antos hit an RBI double and Matt Filip hit a two-run double, scoring Antos and Jason Rodopoulos.
In their half of the sixth inning, D’Youville started coming back, scoring four runs of their own to cut Queens’ lead down to one. They scored their runs on an RBI groundout by Chris Stefan, a wild pitch, and a pair of RBI singles from Caden Strobel and George Farid. The comeback wasn’t enough, however, as Liam Pulsipher came in again, getting four outs to earn his second save of the day.
Dylan Hughes and Harrison Lough both pitched well for Queens and D’Youville, respectively, combining to allow one earned run in 8.2 innings. Hughes got the win for Queens, and Lough was tagged with the loss.
DIVISION III
Maritime 2, Farmingdale 1 (7 Innings)
This game was a pitchers duel throughout, with both teams combining to score three runs on 10 hits. Farmingdale took an early 1-0 lead on an RBI single from Jordan Lambert.
After Stephen Clancy held Maritime in check for the first four innings, they finally broke through in the fifth inning. Freddy Forgione drove in Logan Martinson with a single to tie the game and Travis Zurita scored the eventual game-winning run on an error.
After losing the lead, Joe Marino replaced Clancy, allowing one hit and striking out one in 2.1 innings. Despite the impressive pitching performances from Clancy and Marino, they were outdueled by Maritime’s Shane Sullivan. He got the win in a complete game, only allowing the one run and four hits, striking out three batters. Clancy took the loss for Farmingdale.
Maritime 14, Farmingdale 3 (7 Innings)
While the first game of the doubleheader was a pitchers duel, the second game was wildly different. Maritime came out on fire, scoring in all but one inning. Freddy Forgione started the scoring early, with a solo home run in the first inning. Travis Zurita continued the power outburst, hitting a three-run home run in the second inning to give them an early 4-0 lead.
They put together three more runs in the fourth inning, scoring runs on an error, a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly by Zurita, driving in Nick Pinggera. After scoring two more runs on sacrifice flies, Maritime scored their last five runs on RBI singles from Jaden Shea, Anthony Madigan (two RBIs), Pinggera, and Vasilios Vafakos.
Farmingdale avoided the shutout in the fifth inning when Nick Neve scored on a groundout from Patrick Dallas. They added two more runs in the last two innings when Neve and Tony Figliuolo both drove in runs by reaching on a fielders choice. However, they couldn’t score enough runs to significantly tighten the gap, losing 14-3.
Niko Concha pitched well and got the win for Maritime, only allowing one earned run and striking out two batters over six innings. Jordan Lambert lasted 1.1 innings in his start, taking the loss for Farmingdale.
Old Westbury 7, Manhattanville College 14 (7 Innings)
Old Westbury got on the board quick in the first game of the doubleheader, scoring four runs. Drew Robertson opened up the scoring with a two-run double, and Jacob Taormina added on a two-run single. Manhattanville got a run of their own back in the bottom half of the first inning, as Frank Delgado hit an RBI single.
Old Westbury continued to build a lead in the third inning, scoring three more runs. Taormina added another two RBIs to his day with a single and Jamal Ritter hit an RBI single to take a 7-1 lead.
However, the bats went quiet for Old Westbury while Manhattanville’s heated up. They scored 13 unanswered runs, including a four-run fifth inning and a five-run sixth inning. Their lineup was attacking in all directions, as only one batter, Jake Parisi, had multiple hits for RBIs. Aside from Parisi, Anthony Pressimone, Joe McDonald (two RBIs) and Tyler Viscusi (two RBIs) added RBI singles and Joseph Silvestri and Matt Tuite added two-run doubles.
After Travis Brescia gave up the seven runs to Old Westbury, Thomas Iazzetta came in and shut the door on their offense, pitching four shutout innings and striking out four batters, earning the win. Patrick Quinn was tagged with the loss for Old Westbury.
Old Westbury 4, Manhattanville College 14 (8 Innings)
Manhattanville continued their offensive outburst, outscoring Old Westbury 11-1 over the first five innings. Highlights included an RBI double and RBI single from Matt Tuite, an RBI single from Jake Parisi, and a two-run single from Frank Delgado. Delgado was also dangerous on the basepaths, stealing second and stealing home for another run for Manhattanville.
Not to be outdone by Delgado’s steal of home, Jamal Ritter stole home for Old Westbury in the sixth inning. They scored two more runs in the seventh and eighth innings on an error and a groundout to cut the lead to 11-4. However, Manhattanville scored three of their own in the eighth, ending the game with a 14-4 mercy rule victory.
Ray White pitched 6.2 innings, allowing one run and getting the win for Manhattanville. Joseph Lubrano took the loss for Old Westbury.
St. Joseph’s 10, USMMA 2 (7 Innings)
USMMA opened up the scoring in the first game of the doubleheader, as Joey Zanetti hit a leadoff solo home run. St. Joseph’s tied the game up in their half of the first inning, with Phil Krpata scoring on an error.
After the first inning, USMMA’s bats went quiet and St. Joseph’s continued to roll, outscoring USMMA 9-1 over the rest of the game. They scored multiple runs in the third, fourth, and sixth innings, the most being three runs in the third and fourth innings. In the third, Brian Forbes hit an RBI single and Ryan Decoursey hit a two-run home run. In the fourth inning, Krpata scored on a sacrifice fly from Paul Gugliuzzo and John Lynch hit a two-run double. Lastly, after St. Joseph’s scored a pair of runs on wild pitches, they completed their scoring outburst on an RBI single from Nick Vicino.
USMMA got back on the board in the seventh inning on an RBI single from Garrett Clapsaddle, but they could not get anymore, finishing the game with a 10-2 loss.
Tyler Reistetter took the loss for USMMA, and Kevin Czeczotka earned the win for St. Joseph’s, pitching a complete game and striking out seven batters.
St. Joseph’s 14, USMMA 5
St. Joseph’s picked up right where they left off in the first game, scoring four runs in their half of the first inning. Ryan Decoursey, John Lynch, and Joe Sanguedolce combined for a trio of RBI singles, and Lynch scored on a sacrifice fly from Hermes Abreu.
USMMA cut into the lead, scoring three runs in the second and third innings with a two-run home run by Brayden O’Connell and an RBI single by Noah Herdman. However, St. Joseph’s bounced right back, scoring three more runs of their own in the bottom of the third inning. Sanguedolce hit another RBI single and John Thatcher added a two-run double.
Travis Leatherwood hit a two-run single for USMMA to cut the deficit to 7-5, but St. Joseph’s rallied, scoring 7 runs in three innings to put the game out of reach. Highlights included a two-run home run from Phil Krpata and a pair of RBI doubles from Decoursey and Lynch.
Nicholas Dellitalia got the win out of the bullpen, pitching 3.1 shutout innings and striking out two batters, and Jacob Syversen took the loss for USMMA.
In total, teams on Long Island went 14-7 on Saturday, March 26th.
