Purchase, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College Baseball team opened conference play on Saturday afternoon with a pair of losses at Purchase, dropping 7-1 and 4-2 decisions. Sophomore Christopher Ruggiero (Newburgh, N.Y.) threw a complete game in game two and senior Kristopher Fragomeni (Beacon, N.Y.) posted three base hits in the opener.
 
Mount Saint Mary jumped out in front 1-0 in the third inning in game one, but saw Purchase respond with three tallies in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good in the game. Fragomeni scored the Knights' lone run of the game when Blake Keenan (Fishkill, N.Y.) delivered him with a bases loaded walk.
 
Purchase knotted the score in the third on an RBI single from Brenden LaPorte and added runs on a run scoring groundout and a fly out. The Panthers added four more runs in the sixth with LaPorte and Nick Kulbaba recording RBI singles in the frame.
 
Fragomeni led the offensive attack with a 3-for-5 effort at the plate that included a run scored. Joey Pugliese (Highland, N.Y.) finished game one 2-for-4, with Keenan going 1-for-3 with the team's lone RBI.
 
LaPorte finished the contest 3-for-5 with a run and two RBI, with Kulbaba rounding out the tilt 3-for-4 with a pair of runs. LaPorte, Kulbaba and Brian Cunningham all hit doubles in the contest for Purchase.
 
Senior Chris Wolfe (Beacon, N.Y.) suffered the loss after working 7.0 innings. He allowed six runs on nine hits, while striking out three. Miguel Reyes earned the complete game win for Purchase, striking out six Mount Saint Mary hitters.
 
After falling behind 2-0 in game two, the Knights battled back to knot the score at 2-2 in the top of the fourth inning. Pugliese delivered Ryan Hayes (Robbinsville, N.J.) with a single and Louie Rivera (Linden, N.J.) got the game even with an infield single that drove home Keenan.
 
The Panthers answered again with two tallies in the home half of the inning to close out the scoring in the game. LaPorte drove in a run with a double and an insurance run was scored on a Mount Saint Mary miscue.
 
Matt Cahill (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) and Rivera each finished game two with a pair of hits for the Knights with Cahill ripping a double. Pugliese finished game two 1-for-3 with a stolen base and an RBI.
 
Ruggiero allowed two earned runs on seven hits in 6.0 innings, striking out four and walking two for the Mount. Lukas Chin moved to 5-0 with 6.0 innings of two run ball. Joseph Stewart earned the save with a scoreless seventh inning.
 
Saturday's sweep drops Mount Saint Mary to 5-17 overall and to 0-2 in Skyline Conference play. The Knights return to action on Sunday with a road set at Mount Saint Vincent. The games will now be played at Salesian High School in New Rochelle starting at noon.
 
Note: Game two was finished under protest.

Follow the Knights on Twitter@MSMCKnights and on Flickr