Farmingdale, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College Baseball team rounded out the 2021 season on Sunday with a doubleheader split at Old Westbury. Brandon Nolasco (Chester, N.Y.) homered in a 17-4 game one loss with Anthony Franco (Franklin Square, N.Y.) driving in two runs in an 8-2 game two victory.
 
Game 1: Old Westbury 17 – Mount Saint Mary 4 (7 innings)
The Knights got out to a quick 4-0 lead in the opener, scoring three times in the first and adding a single run in the second frame. Nolasco opened the scoring with a two-run blast with no outs in the inning before Coleman Barnes (New Hampton, N.Y.) doubled home Dominick Masrzigliano (Highland Mills, N.Y.) with the third run of the inning.
 
After a scoreless bottom of the first, the Mount pushed their lead to 4-0 when Steven Mirra (Wallingford, Conn.) doubled to chase home Joseph Laudati (Walden, N.Y.) who worked a one-out walk and moved to second on a wild pitch.
 
Old Westbury erased the deficit with a six-run bottom of the second and went on to add three runs in the fourth, four in the fifth and the final four runs of the game in the sixth. Oscar Fajardo, Drew Robertson, Charlie Eisele and Mike Manetta each drove in a run with base hits in the big second inning.
 
Fajardo connected on a three-run home run in the fourth to push the Panthers' lead to 9-6 with Manetta connecting on a two-run homer an inning later. Manetta was also in the middle of the sixth inning rally with a run scoring triple.
 
Old Westbury outhit the Mount 15-11 in game one with Manetta going 3-for-4 with a triple, home run, two runs scored and four RBI. Brandon Wilson finished up 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI. Fajardo went 2-for-3 with three runs and four RBI.
 
Mirra, Nolasco, Barnes and Franco all recorded two hits for the Knights in game one with Nolasco driving in two runs with his round tripper. Mirra added a run scored and RBI for the Knights.
 
Michael DiGiovanni (Shirley, N.Y.) took the loss on the mound for the Mount after allowing eight earned runs on eight hits in 3.0 innings. Brandon O'Brien earned the win in relief for Old Westbury after working 4.0 scoreless innings, striking out three.
 
Game 2: Mount Saint Mary 8 – Old Westbury 2
Mount Saint Mary rebounded in game two to close out the season in the win column. The Knights overcame an early 1-0 deficit with a six-run fourth frame. Mirra led off the inning with a walk and promptly scored the tying run on a run scoring triple off the bat of Franco. Cullen Roper (Stratford, Conn.) put the Knights in front with a sacrifice fly before Matthew Kozireski (Montgomery, N.Y.) drove in a run with a walk. Mirra followed with a run scoring single before Franco walked to deliver Adam Leone (Wallingford, Conn.) with the final run of the frame.
 
After the Panthers got a run back in the bottom of the fourth, the Knights put the game away with single runs in the fifth and sixth inning to secure the win. Anthony Laietta (North Massapequa, N.Y.) led off the fifth with a home run to move the lead to 7-2 with Donte Iodice (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.) driving home Mirra with a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
 
Mirra closed out a strong year at the plate going 2-for-3 with a triple, two runs and an RBI. Laietta went 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs and an RBI with Franco adding a hit, run and a pair of RBI.
 
Joe Stewart (Valley Stream, N.Y.) picked up the win in his second start of the season, working the first 4.0 innings and allowing two runs on four hits while striking out five. Nicholas Torres (Putnam Valley, N.Y.) and Mirra combined for 3.0 scoreless innings of relief.
 
Sunday's split closes the Mount's season at 10-10 overall and 7-9 in Skyline Conference play.