Newburgh, N.Y. - On the final day of the Skyline Conference regular season, the Mount Saint Mary College baseball team split a pair of games with Polytechnic University. The Blue Knights pounded out 17 hits in the first game en route to a 14-3 victory, but the Blue Jays responded with a 6-5 win in the second game. Mount Saint Mary moved to 12-23 overall and to 8-8 in the Skyline Conference. Polytechnic ran their record to 11-22 overall and 6-10 in Skyline play.
In game one, the Blue Knights got on the board right away as junior Brian Visconti (Newburgh, N.Y.) scored on a sacrifice fly by senior Chris Schacca (Franklin Square, N.Y.). The Mount added to the lead in the second inning as Visconti and sophomore Wilson Rosa (Fort Lee, N.J.) each drove home a run to make the score 3-0.
Mount Saint Mary broke the game open, however, in the third inning, tallying six runs. Senior Anthony Forgione (Franklin Square, N.Y.) started a string of four straight hits with a double down the left-field line. He moved to third on a single by junior Matthew Germann (Islip, N.Y.) and then scored on a double by freshman William Casey (Marlboro, N.Y.). Senior Dave Babcock (Otisville, N.Y.) delivered the big blow in the inning, looping a two-run double down the right field line. Visconti drove home two more runs with a single through the left side and then scored on a double by senior B.J. Masopust (Wallkill, N.Y.).
Junior Kyle Smith (Valley Stream, N.Y.) worked six innings for the Blue Knights and picked up the victory, pushing his record for the season to 3-2. Smith allowed just seven hits and two runs while striking out five.
Forgione finished the first game 3-for-5 with a run scored. Visconti was 2-for-2 with 3 runs batted in and a pair of runs scored. Masopust, Casey, and sophomore Mike Umphlett (North Stonington, Conn.) all had two hits.
In game two, Polytechnic sophomore Jon Paul Anatra (Douglaston, N.Y.) went the distance for the Blue Jays to pick up the victory. Leading by a run in the last inning, Polytechnic sophomore Jason Ritzzo (Weston, Conn.) threw out the tying run at the plate to end the game. Ritzzo charged a single through the left side and threw a strike to the plate, nailing the runner and giving the Blue Jays the win. The victory vaulted Polytechnic ahead of Purchase College for the sixth and final spot in the Skyline Conference playoffs.
Senior Vincent Leone (Brooklyn, N.Y.) led the way for the Blue Jays, finishing 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Sophomore Brian Conley (Fort Dodge, Iowa) and freshman Bryan Benisvy (Atlantic Beach, N.Y.) were both 2-for-3 with a run scored and a pair of runs batted in.
Mount Saint Mary led just once in the game, taking a 3-2 lead in the second inning as Umphlett completed a straight steal of home. Schacca, Casey, and Masopust each had two hits for the Blue Knights with Casey scoring two runs and Masopust one.
The Mount will close their regular season with a non-conference date with Stevens tomorrow. The game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in Newburgh. Mount Saint Mary qualifies as the fifth seed in the Skyline Conference tournament and will travel to Old Westbury for a first round game on Wednesday. Polytechnic locked up the sixth seed with their win today and will face the College of Mount Saint Vincent in the first round, also on Wednesday.
