Newburgh, N.Y. - A monstrous nine-run sixth inning carried the Mount Saint Mary College baseball team to a 10-7 victory over Western Connecticut State University in non-conference action Thursday evening. The Blue Knights snapped a three-game losing streak to move to 7-14 overall. The Colonials dropped to 8-14.
Trailing 7-1 entering the bottom half of the sixth inning, Mount Saint Mary put together their biggest inning of the season to date. Following a strikeout to lead off the inning, eleven consecutive batters reached base, ten by way of a single, starting with one from senior Chris Schacca (Franklin Square, N.Y.). Senior Anthony Forgione (Franklin Square, N.Y.) followed with a hit and then junior Matthew Germann (Islip, N.Y.) singled to load the bases. Junior Matthew Berger (Cochecton, N.Y.) picked up the first RBI of the inning with a single through the right side. Freshman William Casey (Marlboro, N.Y.) drew a bases-loaded walk for an RBI and then senior B.J. Masopust (Wallkill, N.Y.) drove in a pair of runs with a single up the middle. Sophomore Greg Diamond (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) continued the rally with a RBI single and was promptly followed by RBI singles by sophomores Justin Cardenas (Leonia, N.J.) and Mike Umphlett (North Stonington, Conn.). Schacca returned for his second at-bat of the inning and scooted an RBI single through the hole on the left side. Then, Forgione picked up his second single of the inning to reload the bases. The Colonials finally escaped the inning with a pair of strikeouts, but not before Berger drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the ninth run of the inning.
Junior pitcher Kyle Smith (Franklin Square, N.Y.) entered in the top of the seventh and didn't allow a base-runner in two innings of work. Berger entered the game from the designated hitter position to pitch the ninth. The junior struck out the side to pick up his second save of the year. Sophomore Brian O'Connor (Campbell Hall, N.Y.) nabbed the win, working one and two-thirds innings before the sixth inning rally. Together, the three pitchers didn't allow the Colonials a hit over the last four and two-thirds innings.
Schacca finished 3-for-5 with a run scored and one RBI. His second single in the sixth inning was the 100th career hit for the senior who continues to lead the Skyline Conference in batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage.
Germann finished 3-for-5 with a pair of runs scored and Masopust tallied a game-high 3 RBIs. After entering the game in the sixth, Cardenas was 2-for-2 with a run and an RBI. He also tracked down a long fly-ball in left field, running back to the wall to make a terrific play. Umphlett and Forgione each picked up a pair of hits as well.
The Mount finally gets a day off following a stretch of eight games in five days before jumping back into conference play. The Blue Knights travel to Old Westbury on Saturday for a double-header that is scheduled to start at noon.
