Newburgh, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College Baseball team played its first games on campus of the 2017 season Saturday afternoon, splitting a pair of games with the United States Merchant Marine Academy. The Knights were blanked 8-0 in the opener before Jake Stewart (Wallkill, N.Y.) stifled the Mariners in a 2-1 game two win in which he recorded his first career victory.
 
Game 1: USMMA 8 – Mount Saint Mary 0
Neither team was able to score in the opener until the Mariners plated five runs in the top of the sixth inning. The Mariners recorded five hits in the frame with the first five hitters reaching base safely. With the bases loaded and no one out, Kyle Cunningham drove in two runs with a single. Matt Mundorf followed with an RBI single and Alex Gambino delivered a run on a squeeze play. Matt Thomson closed out the scoring in the frame with a double that chased home Mundorf for the five run advantage.
 
The Mariners expanded their lead to the final eight run advantage in the eighth inning. Wyatt Wilson drove in the team's seventh run with a single and Bryson Campbell closed out the scoring in the game with a sacrifice fly that delivered Steve Lucy.
 
Mount Saint Mary was outhit 10-4 in game one and moved a runner to second base just three times in the game. Christopher Introcaso (Newburgh, N.Y.), Alexander Nova (Miami, Fla.), Joey Pugliese (Highland, N.Y.) and John Santana (Warwick, N.Y.) recorded the hits, with Santana ripping a double.
 
Mundorf went 3-for-4 for USMMA with two runs and an RBI, with Cunningham collecting two hits, scoring twice and driving in two runs.
 
Nathan Slusarczyk worked a complete game shutout for USMMA, striking out seven and walking two as he moved to 3-4 on the season. Santana suffered the loss and fell to 1-2 after allowing five runs on seven hits in 5.0 innings. He struck out five and walked one.
 
Game 2: Mount Saint Mary 2 – USMMA 1
USMMA started quick in game two, plating a run in the first inning. Thomson led off the game with a double and later scored on a RBI groundout for the team's only run of the game.
 
The 1-0 lead held up until the Mount broke through with its only two runs of the game in the home half of the third inning. With two on and two out in the inning, Tom Huvane (Eastchester, N.Y.) shot a single through the right side to deliver Santana with the tying run and Michael Doxey (Highland, N.Y.) later singled through the right side to push Nick Rizzo (Smithtown, N.Y.) home with the eventual game winning run.
 
The one run advantage was all Stewart needed in the game as she worked his first complete game of the season. He did not strikeout a batter and allowed just five hits as he moved to 1-7 on the season. Andrew Spinnenweber worked USMMA's second complete game of the day, fanning nine.
 
Santana and Kevin Edgar (Southampton, N.Y.) each finished with two hits in the win, with Santana ripping his second double of the day. Rizzo scored his team leading 26^th run of the season and stole his team leading 20^th base of the year.
 
Saturday's split moves Mount Saint Mary to 6-23 overall on the season and to 4-8 in Skyline Conference play. The Knights return to action on Sunday when they play host to Purchase on Senior Day. First pitch with the Panthers is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.