Box Score
Hoboken, N.J.— The John Jay baseball team, the defending conference champions, opened its 2008 baseball season on Sunday, but the Bloodhounds came up short as John Jay was defeated by Stevens Institute of Technology, 8-6, at Stevens Tech’s Dobbelaar Field.
The host Ducks led from start to finish. After the Bloodhounds went in order in the top of the first, Stevens Tech got four runs across the plate in the bottom half of the inning to take a 4-0 lead.
A couple of dribblers by the Stevens hitters and an error allowed the Ducks to take the early advantage. Stevens got five hits in the inning, but two of them were hit to the perfect spots near starting pitcher Michael Colletta (Staten Island, NY / New Dorp), including a bunt single that stopped dead on the moist turf in front of the first base line that initially appeared to be heading foul.
The Bloodhounds however got a run back in the top half of the second inning. With one out and nobody on, Johan Abad (Corona, NY / Flushing) got John Jay’s first hit, extra base hit, run, and RBI of the season with one swing of the bat. The hefty first baseman ripped a solo shot to right center to cut the deficit to three runs as John Jay trailed 4-1.
The score remained 4-1 all the way into the bottom of the fourth, as Stevens got around to Colletta with three runs, two of which were unearned. The Bloodhounds committed three errors on the afternoon, all of which led to runs as half of the Ducks’ eight runs were unearned.
Colletta, who went 3.2 innings and allowed seven runs (four earned) on eight hits and struck out one, was lifted with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth. But Marcos Almanzar (Brooklyn, NY / Telecommunications) got the final out of the inning on a shot hit back to the box.
John Jay manufactured two runs in the top of the sixth to cut the margin to 7-3. Abad got his second RBI of the game driving in John Massoni (Staten Island, NY / St. Peter’s Boys) after reaching on a fielder’s choice. The next batter, Luis Guzman (Yonkers, NY / St. Michael’s) ripped a single to center field to dive home Chris Nastasi (Bayville, NY / IMG Academy).
Stevens Tech got another unearned run in the bottom of the sixth to take an 8-3 advantage before the Bloodhounds mounted a late rally in the final innings.
With two out and nobody on in the seventh, junior second baseman Jorge Rosado (Santo Domingo, DR / Martin Luther King) drew a walk and stole second to get into scoring position. Then Massoni, who was 3-for-4 with a double and a walk, ripped a single to center to score Rosado, but was thrown out at second, 8-1-6, trying to advance to second.
Both teams went quietly in the eighth, but John Jay picked out two more runs in the ninth. Anthony Cestaro (Paramus, NJ / Paramus) drew a lead off walk and pinch hitter Steven Roman (Middletown, NY / Chapel Field Christian) did the same. With two on and no outs, Edwin Hernandez (Brooklyn, NY / Murry Bergtraum) grounded out to first unassisted as the runners moved up. Rosado then did the same (first unassisted) as Cestaro came into score and Roman advanced to third.
Then Massoni picked up his third hit of the afternoon, ripping a double to left to score Roman.
But Nastasi, representing the tying run, was caught looking to end the game.
The Bloodhounds, now 0-1, return to action next Sunday, Mar 2, against Beloit College, in the first game of their annual trip to Florida. The game will be played at Florida College, in Tampa at 2:30 p.m.
