NEWBURGH, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College baseball team (11-14) got most of its roster into Thursday's non-conference contest, but fell to John Jay College (2-21), 9-5, in a 10-inning affair at the MSMC Baseball Field.
An abnormally frigid day for late April caused the Knights and Bloodhounds to play through snow for some of Thursday's matchup. A late rally by John Jay in the ninth forced extra innings. Keeping their momentum rolling, the Bloodhounds knocked in four runs on four hits and an error in the top of the 10th to ultimately pick up the 9-5 victory.
John Jay picked up an early lead after Esteban Soler knocked in two runs in the top of the second to put the visitors up by a pair. The Bloodhounds improved upon their lead in the third on an RBI double by Brian Cabral that put them up, 3-0
The Knights loaded the bases with one away in the third, giving designated hitter
Andrew Conn (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) a chance to do some damage. Conn came through with a single up the middle, bringing in two runs to get the Knights back within one.
It was not until the seventh that another run was scored in the game. The Knights put runners on the corners for freshman second baseman
Albert Estwick Jr. (East Elmhurst, N.Y.), who was still looking for his first collegiate base hit. Estwick hit a hard grounder over the third-base bag to pick up his first hit and knock in a run to tie the game. Freshman first baseman
Blake Keenan (Fishkill, N.Y.) followed that up with a double to deep right-center, bringing in another run to put the Knights up, 4-3. Conn then doubled to deep right, bringing Keenan around to score and give the home team a 5-3 advantage.
The Bloodhounds played better than their record late in Thursday's game, and the gutsy visitors looked to stay in it despite the Knights' rally in the seventh. Jason Gonzalez came on to pinch hit for John Jay in the eighth, and came through with an RBI single to cut the deficit to a run.
John Jay was down to its final out in the ninth with nobody on base. Zach Hyde reached base on an error by the shortstop to keep the Bloodhounds' hopes alive. He then stole second, and advanced to third when the throw got away. R.J. Davila came through with a single to center field, plating Hyde to tie the game.
Soler picked up a big bases-loaded double to left field in the 10th, giving the Bloodhounds a 7-5 lead. Hyde followed with an RBI infield single after legging out a slow grounder to put them up by three. Davila then hit a hard grounder to first, which was misplayed, causing the fourth run of the inning to score.
Christian Rodriguez earned the win for John Jay, going 2.2 innings in relief without allowing a run. The Knights used 10 different pitchers in Thursday's contest, but it was sophomore reliever
Joey Pugliese (Highland, N.Y.) who was shouldered with the loss after allowing three runs in 1/3 of an inning in the 10th.
Soler hit 2-for-5 and knocked in four runs out of the nine-hole in the Bloodhounds' lineup. Nick Gioia went 2-for-4 and scored twice, while Nestor Amarante also scored twice in a 2-for-5 outing.
Conn batted 2-for-3 with three RBIs to pace the Knights. Junior left fielder
Matt Cahill (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) scored two times in a 2-for-5 effort, and sophomore infielder
Jimmy Papineau (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.) went 2-for-5 with a run.
The Knights head into a sink-or-swim doubleheader with the College of Mount Saint Vincent on Saturday, April 25. The Knights can clinch a spot in the Skyline Conference Championship Tournament if they sweep, but they can also get in with help. Saturday's twinbill will be played at Bard College's Honey Field due to field availability issues brought upon by the Skyline Conference Softball Championship Tournament being hosted by Mount Saint Mary. The doubleheader is set to begin at 12 p.m.
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