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Box Score 2
Staten Island, N.Y.— The John Jay baseball team kept pace with the College of Staten Island in what could potentially be a two team race for the conference championship as the Bloodhounds split a doubleheader with the Dolphins on Sunday. John Jay lost the opener 5-3 before winning the second game 8-7 at the CSI Baseball Complex on Sunday. John Jay is now 13-12 (5-3 CUNYAC) while CSI is now 10-11 (6-2 CUNYAC).
In the first game the Bloodhounds took the lead in the top of the first with a run as Chris Nastasi (Bayville, NY / IMG Academy) ripped a two out single to drive in Jorge Rosado (Santo Domingo, DR / Martin Luther King), who had the first hit of the game with a bunt single. Rosado was 2-for-4 with two runs in game one, while Nastasi was 1-for-4 with an RBI.
The lead lasted into the bottom of the second, when the host Dolphins plated four runs to go up 4-1 and never trail again in the contest.
CSI tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth inning to go up 5-1 before the Bloodhounds, who along with the Dolphins had 10 hits in the game, put a mild rally together to edge closer.
John Jay put three straight hits together to drive in a pair of runs and get to within two runs of the lead.
With one out Edwin Hernandez (Brooklyn, NY / Murry Bergtraum), who was 2-for-4 with a run, scored from first on a triple by Rosado. The next batter, John Massoni (Staten Island, NY / St. Peter’s Boys), who was also 2-for-4, smashed a double to drive in Rosado to make the score 5-3.
But the rally ended there as the Bloodhounds, who left nine runners on base over the seven inning affair, left two on that inning. With two outs, Anthony Cestaro (Paramus, NJ / Paramus), also 2-for-4, ripped a single to move Massoni to third. But the Bloodhounds failed to punch home any more runners.
John Jay had one more shot in the top of the seventh. Massoni led off the inning with a double, but the Dolphins retired the final three batters in order to preserve the win.
Michael Colletta (Staten Island, NY / New Dorp) went six full innings and allowed five runs (four earned) on 10 hits and struck out four.
In game two CSI scored a run in the first and three in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead after three innings.
But John Jay came roaring back and took the lead over the middle innings. The Bloodhounds two in the fourth, four in the fifth and two more in the sixth to take an 8-4 lead before holding on for the win.
John Jay’s first two runs of the contest came on a bases clearing single by Nastasi, who was 2-for-3 in the game. Nastasi ripped a shot through the right side of the infield to bring home Rosado, who had a huge second game going 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBI, and Hernandez, who was 1-for-3 with a pair of runs.
The Bloodhounds’ middle inning barrage continued in the fifth inning as Rosado ripped a two run single to left center to drive home Steven Roman (Middletown, NY / Chapel Field Christian) and Xavier Perez (Bronx, NY / Manhattan Center). The next batter, Massoni, smoked a double to center to score Rosado and Hernandez to give John Jay a lead it would not relinquish.
John Jay added two insurance runs in the sixth they proved to have needed. Hernandez ripped a one out double to drive in Perez. Then Rosdado laced a triple to bring home Hernandez to give the Bloodhounds an 8-4 advantage.
Luis Vega (Brooklyn, NY / Christ the King), who picked up the win in relief after shutting out the Dolphins for 3 2/3 innings, found trouble in the seventh.
The first four CSI batters reached base in the bottom of the seventh, resulting in two runs to make the score 8-6.
But Vega worked his way out of trouble retiring the final three batters. With runners on second and third and nobody out, he got the first out of the inning on a ground out to short. But both runners advanced and with one out the score was 8-7 and the tying run was now on third.
The next batter grounded out to first, and the final batter flew out to left as Vega officially worked his way out of trouble to end the game as John Jay remains one game in back of CSI with the rubber match coming on Monday.
John Jay will face CSI at American Legion Field at 4 p.m. on Monday.
