Kings Point, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College Baseball team ran its winning streak to five games with a Skyline Conference doubleheader sweep at the United States Merchant Marine Academy on Saturday. Senior
Christopher Introcaso (Newburgh, N.Y.) drove in four runs in a 7-1 game one win, while
Ryan Hayes (Robbinsville, N.Y.) won his fourth game of the season in a 4-2 game two triumph.
Game 1: Mount Saint Mary 7 – USMMA 1
The Knights scored in their first four at-bats of the opener, scoring single runs in the first, second and third innings and adding two runs in the fourth. The Knights added single runs in the seventh and ninth innings to pull away for the win.
Introcaso opened the scoring with a run scoring single in the first that delivered
John Santana (Warwick, N.Y.) and after the Mariners tied the score at 1-1,
Nick Rizzo (Smithtown, N.Y.) delivered
Kevin Edgar (Southampton, N.Y.) with the eventual game winning run with a two-out single.
Mount Saint Mary pushed its lead to 3-1 in the third when Introcaso drove in his second run of the game and opened a 5-1 lead when
Anthony Rizzo (Smithtown, N.Y.) drove in two runs with a two-out single. The Knights put the game away when Introcaso delivered run scoring doubles in both the seventh and ninth frames.
Introcaso had a big game at the plate, going 4-for-4 with two doubles, a walk and four RBI.
Anthony Rizzo finished up 3-for-4 with a double, two runs and a pair of RBI, while Santana went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Edgar scored twice for the Knights in the game one win.
Senior
Blake Keenan (Fishkill, N.Y.) worked his second straight complete game and won his third straight decision in the opener. He pushed his record to 4-0 and moved his earned run average to 2.45 after allowing just one run on six hits. He surrendered two walks and struck out six for the Knights.
Game 2: Mount Saint Mary 4 – USMMA 2
The Knights earned the sweep in game two by scoring in each of its last three at-bats. The Knights broke a scoreless tie in the fifth with two runs and tacked on single runs in the sixth and seventh frames before holding off the Mariners.
Freshman
Jack Goodwin (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) got the scoring started with a sacrifice fly that delivered
Jaiden Bonet (Bronx, N.Y.) and
Nick Rizzo later reached on an error with
Steven Mirra (Wallingford, Conn.) scoring on the play to give the Mount a 2-0 lead.
The lead grew to three runs in the sixth when Santana scampered home on a run scoring groundout before
Nick Rizzo stole home in the seventh to give the Knights a 4-0 lead with one at-bat left for the Mariners.
Trailing by four runs, USMMA recorded two hits and walked twice to get the tying run to the plate. Kyle Cunningham got the Mariners on the board with a single and the second run came home on a double play groundball, before Santana got a comebacker to end the threat.
The Knights were outhit in game two 5-3, with Santana doubling and Keenan and Mirra each singling. Santana and Mirra each finished the game with a hit and a run scored, while Goodwin and
Steven Bauer (Goshen, N.Y.) drove in runs.
Hayes worked the first 6.0 innings in game two and surrendered two runs on four hits while fanning three. Santana came on to get the final three outs in the game and recorded his second save of the season.
Saturday's sweep pushes Mount Saint Mary to 16-7 overall and to 8-2 in Skyline Conference play. The Knights will return to action on Tuesday at Purchase, following the postponement of Sunday's set with the Panthers. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
