Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

NEWBURGH, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College baseball team (13-16, 7-6 Skyline) ended its seven-game skid with a doubleheader sweep of Skyline Conference opponent NYU-Poly (2-16, 2-10 Skyline) Wednesday afternoon at the Mount. The Knights put together a late rally to pick up the game one victory, 7-2, and then kept the momentum going with an 8-5 win in the finale.
 
The Knights fell behind, 2-1, in game one after Poly's Kian Downes smacked a two-RBI single to left center in the top of the fourth. It took until the seventh, but the Knights' bats finally came to life for a four-run rally to take the lead. Junior shortstop Rocco Pepe (Commack, N.Y.) blasted a double over the left fielder to score senior catcher Chris Chieffo (Waterbury, Conn.) and tie the game. Later, with two away, sophomore second baseman James Nakashian (Massapequa, N.Y.) singled in Pepe to take the lead. Senior left fielder Vinnie Carminati (Huntington, N.Y.) provided the big blow with a two-RBI single that put the Knights up, 5-2.
 
Pepe doubled for the second straight inning with a two-RBI liner down the right field line to put the Knights up by a comfortable five runs.
 
Sophomore starter Ryan Turton (Westbury, N.Y.) turned in a stellar effort by tossing eight innings without allowing an earned run. Julian Santulli suffered the loss for Poly after yielding seven runs (three earned) in 7.1 innings of work.
 
Pepe led the Knights to victory after going 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and three RBI in Wednesday's opener. Nakashian had a 2-for-3 outing with a run, an RBI and a stolen base, while sophomore center fielder Mike Leone (Staten Island, N.Y.) swiped a pair in a 2-for-4 effort.
 
Downes batted 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI for Poly in game one. Nate Albers hit 3-for-4, while Santulli went 2-for-4.
 
Poly took the early advantage in the later game with a three-spot in its first at-bat. Peter Finch provided the early spark with a two-RBI double to left center, which brought in a third run on a throwing error. The Fighting Blue Jays got on the board again in the second on a single by Albers that scored Christopher Ma to put the visitors up, 4-0.
 
The Knights cut the deficit in half with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the second. Their bats came to life in the third with the biggest rally of the day for either team. Freshman designated hitter Rob Peccerillo (Staten Island, N.Y.) singled through the left side to score Nakashian and cut the Poly lead to one. Leone then brought in Carminati on a single to left that tied the game. With runners on the corners, the Knights pulled off the double steal with Leone touching home to give the Knights the lead.
 
The rally continued for the Knights in the third, as sophomore first baseman Matt Cahill (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) scored on a passed ball to improve the lead. Senior catcher Chris O'Connor (Campbell Hall, N.Y.) then singled up the middle to bring in freshman shortstop Jimmy Papineau (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.), to put the Knights up, 7-4, after three innings.
 
Poly got one back in the fourth on an error, but the Knights erased the run when O'Connor scored in the fifth on a wild pitch to reach the eventual final score of 8-5.
 
Senior reliever Angelo Biondo (Hauppauge, N.Y.) picked up his first win of the season after throwing 3.1 innings in relief without allowing a run. Albers took the loss in game two for Poly, allowing seven runs (six earned) in three innings.
 
Leone went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs and an RBI, while O'Connor hit 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run. Leone also stole three bases to reach a total of five on the afternoon.
 
Albers had another strong game at the plate for the Jays, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs. Santulli also put in a second solid game with a 2-for-3 effort. Finch knocked in two runs in a 2-for-4 outing.
 
The Knights are holding tight to the No. 6 seed in the Skyline Conference heading into the final weekend of play. They will take on top seed Purchase College in a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 12. They will also need to play one more game with the currently seventh place College of Mount Saint Vincent before the regular season comes to a close.
 
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