Yaphank, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College Baseball split a road doubleheader with the College of Mount Saint Vincent on Monday and in the process posted a series victory by taking two of the first three games of the series. In a 12-9 game one victory
Dominick Marzigliano (Highland Mills, N.Y.) and
Robert Brust (Shirley, N.Y.) homered and in a 4-3 game two loss
Brandon Nolasco (Chester, N.Y.) recorded three hits, including a home run.
Game 1
The Mount plated a run in the its first at bat in the opener when Marzigliano scored on a run scoring groundout off the bat of
Liam Merlin (Reading, Mass.). Mount Saint Vincent responded with a four-run home half of the first, before the Knights plated two runs in the third, four in the fourth, two more runs in the sixth, a run in the seventh and their final two tallies in the eighth.
Mount Saint Mary pulled to within 4-3 when Brust belted a two-run home run and then pulled in front 7-4 in the fourth on the strength of a three-run blast off the bat of Marzigliano.
Michael DiGiovanni (Shirley, N.Y.) singled to start the inning and Steven MIrra (Wallingford, Conn.) reached on an error ahead of the Marzigliano round tripper.
After Mount Saint Vincent scratched out single runs in the fourth and fifth to get to within 7-6, the Knights got two more in the sixth on a two-run triple from Merlin to send the Mount to a 9-6 lead. Mirra added a sacrifice fly in the seventh to push the lead to four runs, before the Dolphins plated three in the seventh to get back to within 10-9. The big blow in the home half of the seventh was a three-run shot from Michael Grisanti.
Leading by a run, the Mount tacked on two more tallies in the eighth to finish off the scoring in the game. The Knights strung together three hits in the frame, including a run scoring single from Merlin.
Anthony Franco (Franklin Square, N.Y.) pushed home a run with a run scoring sacrifice to close out the scoring in the game.
Five Knights finished the game with at least two hits, with Marzigliano and Merlin each producing three safeties. Marzigliano wrapped up the win 3-for-6 with his home run, three runs scored and three RBI. Merlin went 3-for-5 with a triple, run scored and four driven in.
Devin Tait (Staten Island, N.Y.) collected two hits, including a triple, while Brust drove in two and DiGiovanni scoring twice.
Mike Scotto (Putnam, N.Y.) won his collegiate debut with 5.0 solid innings of work on the hill. He allowed six runs on six hits while fanning two.
Anthony Collura (Franklin Square, N.Y.) picked up the save with two scoreless innings of work that featured three strikeouts.
Game 2
In the final game of the series, a non-conference affair, the Knights fell behind 1-0 before knotting the score at 1-1on a Tait double that delivered Nolasco with the Mount's first run.
Mount Saint Vincent went on to plate a run in the home half of the fourth to retake a one-run lead and tacked on the eventual deciding runs in the fifth after Grisanti and Jake Blinsturb doubled home runs.
Down by three runs, the Knights battled back to within a tally with two-runs in the sixth. Nolansco connected on his first home run and brought home Mirra to bring the Mount to within the final 4-3 score. The Mount would get the tying run on base in the sixth, but would not have another base runner in the game.
Nolasco was a perfect 3-for-3 in game two with a double, home run, two runs and a pair of RBI.
Joseph Laudati (Walden, N.Y.) collected two hits for the Knights with Tait adding a double and an RBI.
DiGiovanni allowed a single run on one hit in 2.0 innings of work in his season debut on the mound.
Matthew Kozireski (Montgomery, N.Y.) suffered the loss in relief, allowing a run on two hits in 2.0 innings of work.
Monday's split moves Mount Saint Mary to 2-2 overall on the season but to 2-1 in Skyline Conference play. Next up for the Knights is a non-conference set with the Dolphins on Thursday. First pitch in Newburgh is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
