Staten Island, N.Y.-- John Massoni went 2-for-5 with two runs and three runs batted in at the plate, and pitched six innings, allowing three runs on six hits with five strikeouts as the John Jay baseball team held off the College of Staten Island, 9-7, to advance into the championship round of the 2007 City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) baseball championship, ending the four year dynasty of the College of Staten Island.

 

“Just another step closer for us,” said John Jay head coach Dan Palumbo. “The championship is still not ours though, we still have another round to go.”

 

The Bloodhounds will play the City College of New York at 4 p.m., and with a win will play for the championship at 7 p.m. against the Beavers.

 

John Jay took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Kenny Sepulveda to drive in Henry Chao.

 

The Dolphins got even in the top of the third though on a sacrifice fly by Ray Valerio to drive in Bob Glennerster.

 

But John Jay took the lead for good with five runs in the bottom half of the third to take a 6-1 lead. The scoring started with Massoni helping his cause by ripping a two-run single to right field that scored Chao and James DeCesare. Moments later Gonzalo Gonzalez drew a bases loaded walk to force home Sepulveda. After Richard Santana lined out to short, Massoni came in to score after an attempt to double up Johan Abad at second faltered as the pickoff attempt went into right field. Abad then scored on the next play on an RBI single up the middle by Tim Murphy.

 

The Bloodhounds then registered a run in the fourth and fifth to take an 8-1 lead.

 

The Dolphins did not go away however and crawled back into the game. They picked up two runs in the top of the sixth to narrow the gap. A single through the left side by Andrew Baio scored Mike Madalone. Then a wild pitch by the Bloodhounds would allow Brian Philipps to score.

 

CSI continued to chip away at the lead. They got another run closer in the seventh on a bases loaded walk by Matt Thompson to score Joel Pratts. But relief pitcher Anthony Cestaro registered the final out of the inning and CSI left the bases loaded.

 

The Bloodhounds added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI double by Abad that scored Massoni. The run proved to be an important cushion for John Jay as the Dolphins mounted a rally in the ninth inning to take a big dent into the lead.

 

CSI poured on three runs in the top of the ninth and left the tying run on second with the bases loaded when the game ended.

 

The Dolphins got the scoring started in the inning when after loading the bases Mohammed Hamad drew a one out walk to force home Jason Vasquez. CSI scored again as Thomas DeWaters reached on a fielder’s choice on a groundball to shortstop with two outs. But Hamad raced into second base to keep the inning alive. Meanwhile Philipps scored on the play. Next, with the bases still loaded, Valerio drew a walk to score Baio and move the tying run into scoring position. But Bloodhound closer Manny Rodriguez recorded the final out of the game to preserve the win for the Bloodhounds to advance to the championship round for the second year in a row.

 

Both teams left a combined 27 runners on base (15 for CSI, 12 for John Jay). The Bloodhounds recorded 17 hits in the contest and got a 3-for-4 performances from Murphy, Sepulveda, and Gonzalez.

 

“The guys played a solid game,” said Palumbo. “We know what’s at stake and we are going to come out and be ready to play on Saturday.”