Box Score
Brooklyn, N.Y.— Chris Nastasi (Bayville, NY / IMG Academy) led an offensive explosion for the Bloodhounds by going 6-for-7 with two doubles, three runs and seven RBI as John Jay pounded out 26 hits to take the rubber match of this weekend’s conference series with Baruch College as the Bloodhounds defeated the Bearcats 24-12 at American Legion Field on Sunday. By winning two of three this weekend, John Jay is now 7-9 (1-2 CUNYAC).
The Bloodhounds scored two runs in the first and five in the second to grab a 7-0 lead after two innings, but the contest was far from over.
The visiting Bearcats put up nine runs in the top half of the third inning to take a 9-7 lead, knocking starting pitcher John Massoni (Staten Island, NY / St. Peter’s Boys) out of the game. Massoni went 2.0 innings and allowed four runs on three hits and struck out one.
But John Jay, who improved its team batting average to .300 on the season after today’s barrage, went back on top in the bottom of the third to take the lead for good.
The Bloodhounds started the scoring when the Baruch pitcher committed a balk with the bases loaded as Luis Guzman (Yonkers, NY / Mt. St. Michael’s) trotted home from third. Later in the inning Massoni walked to score Steven Roman (Middletown, NY / Chapel Field Christian) who got on with a bunt single. For the game, Roman was 4-for-6 with two runs and two RBI.
John Jay then took the lead for good as Nastasi ripped one of his four singles to drive in two of his game best seven runs as Xavier Perez (Bronx, NY / Manhattan Center), who was 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBI, and Jorge Rosado (Santo Domingo, DR / Martin Luther King), who scored three times, came in to score and give the Bloodhounds an 11-9 advantage.
The Bloodhounds continued to increase the lead in the later innings. After Baruch got a run back in the top half of the next frame, John Jay knocked in eight the bottom half of the fifth to take a 19-11 lead.
John Jay later scored three runs in the seventh and two in the eighth as the Bloodhounds recorded its second highest run total of the season (25 runs in a win over Yeshiva on Mar. 13).
Six of John Jay’s starters recorded at least three hits, including Nastasi (6-for-7), Massoni (4-for-4), Roman (4-for-6), Perez (3-for-5), Johan Abad (Corona, NY / Flushing) (3-for-6) and Anthony Cestaro (Paramus, NJ / Paramus) (3-for-7).
Luis Vega (Brooklyn, NY / Christ the King) earned the win in relief after going 3.2 innings and allowing eight runs (seven earned) and striking out three.
Daniel Rodriguez (Brooklyn, NY / Abraham Lincoln) and Enmanuel Rodriguez (Manhattan, NY / Manchester) combined to complete the final 3.1 innings allowing no runs on one hit.
John Jay returns to action on Tue. Apr. 1 at New Jersey City Univ. at 3 p.m.
