Newburgh, N.Y. - It was another split decision for the Mount Saint Mary College baseball team on Sunday afternoon as the Blue Knights won one and lost one against Maritime College. The Privateers took the first game, 8-4, and the Blue Knights rebounded for a 23-5 victory in game two. MSMC is now 3-8 overall and 2-2 in the Skyline Conference. Maritime is now 2-8 overall and 2-2 in the Skyline.
It was a perfect day for MSMC senior Chris Schacca (Franklin Square, N.Y.) at the plate, as he finished the double-header 7-for-7 with two runs scored and four runs batted in. The senior was 5-for-5 in the first game and 2-for-2 in the second game, tallying six singles and a double. He walked in his other two plate appearances making him 9-for-9 at getting on base in the two games.
In the first game, Maritime sophomore Dan Anderson (Wilmington, De.) pitched seven strong innings and limited the Blue Knights to just two runs on seven hits. Mount Saint Mary junior Frank Snyder (Wallkill, N.Y.) pitched well, striking out ten in six innings, but did not get any help from his defense. The Blue Knights committed six errors with Snyder on the mound that resulted in five unearned runs.
The Privateers drew first blood in the second inning as senior Joseph Carofano (Green Lawn, N.Y.) snuck a double down the left field line for an RBI. Maritime struck for four runs in the third, taking advantage of an error. Junior Jacob Nessel (Montauk, N.Y.) had the big hit in the inning, driving in two runs with a single through the right side. The Privateers extended their lead to seven with two more runs in the fourth inning.
The Mount finally got on the board in the seventh, as senior B.J. Masopust (Wallkill, N.Y.) and junior Matthew Berger (Cochecton, N.Y.) put together back-to-back RBI doubles. With two outs in the inning, senior Brian Visconti (Newburgh, N.Y.) laced a line drive to right, but it was directly at the right-fielder who put it away for the third out.
Schacca led off the eighth with a double and came around to score to make the deficit 8-3. Senior Anthony Forgione (Franklin Square, N.Y.) also scored in the inning, but the Blue Knights couldn't keep the inning going. The Mount had first and third in the ninth, but couldn't get only closer to the Privateers.
With his five hits for the Blue Knights, Schacca was responsible for half of the team's hits in the game. Maritime freshman Henry Killian (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) had two hits and seven other players had one hit apiece for the Privateers. Nessel and senior Brenton Yockel (Rochester, N.Y.) each had a pair of RBIs.
Mount Saint Mary didn't waste any time in the second game, tallying four runs in the bottom of the first. Visconti led off the inning with a walk and was quickly moved to third by way of a stolen base and a ground ball to the right side by Berger. Schacca ripped a single up the middle for an RBI and then Forgione beat out an infield single to put runners on first and second. Junior Matthew Germann (Islip, N.Y.) singled to left-center, driving in Schacca, and then an overthrow allowed Forgione to score as well. Freshman Louis Peisel (Brewster, N.Y.) lined an RBI single to center allowing German to bring across the fourth run.
With a four run lead, the Blue Knights didn't let up. They scored three runs in the second without recording a hit and then tallied two more in the third thanks to an RBI double by Berger. The Mount continued to pile on the runs with six more in the fourth. Berger had another RBI single, Schacca drove in two with a line drive single to right, and Forgione picked up an RBI with a single through the left side.
After Maritime finally got on the board with five runs in the sixth, the Blue Knights answered with eight more runs to make the final score 23-5.
Freshman Matthew Paci (Florida, N.Y.) did a nice job on the hill for the Mount, allowing just five hits and one earned run in five and two-thirds innings. He struck out six on the way to the first win of his collegiate career.
At the plate, Berger finished 4-for-5 with three runs scored and four runs batted in. Schacca was 2-for-2 with a run scored and four RBIs. Forgione was 2-for-4 with 2 runs and a run batter in.
The Blue Knights will be back in action on Tuesday, April 1 as they host non-conference foe, Centenary College. The game will start at 6:00 p.m. in Delano-Hitch Stadium in Newburgh.
