The College of Staten Island completed a three-game sweep and in the process took one step closer to the 2010 CUNYAC Regular Season title, defeating the City College of New York, 12-9, at MCU Ballpark in Brooklyn, New York, on Sunday. The win lifted the Dolphins to 23-8 overall and 8-1 in the CUNYAC, insuring at least a tie for a first place finish in the standings for CSI come playoff time. CCNY fell to 12-15, 4-5, respectively.
After garnering a couple of wins over CCNY on Saturday to lower their magic number to one, CSI used a monster fourth inning to catapult them to the three-game sweep.
CSI fell behind, 2-0, when the Beavers touched CSI starter Casey Mulligan for a pair of runs. Willis Fernandez pasted an RBI double to plate Andrue Romanella. A Rueben Angeles RBI-ground out crossed the second run. Mulligan settled to get out of the bottom of the third inning, and then it was CSI’s turn to respond.
After a Matt Oetting single and stolen base, Sal Todaro singled him home, getting CSI on the board at 2-1. After a Cory Sullivan single, Thomas DeWaters ripped an RBI-double to plate Today off of CCNY starter Angeles. Dan Lynch then plated another run on a single to give CSI the lead. Another RBI-single by Devon DiCasoli and an RBI-ground out by Henry Roman kept up the scoring carousel, making it 5-2. After Pat Gale reached on an error, CSI officially batted around, and Oetting made them pay with a two-run double to cap the scoring, at 7-2.
The Dolphins added another run on a Sullivan sac fly in the fifth to score Todaro who led off with a triple. The 8-2 lead seemed enough for the Dolphins, but CCNY had other plans, and the Beavers stormed right back. After plating a run in the fifth, the Beavers had a monster sixth inning, plating six runs off of three CSI pitchers to take the lead back, 9-8. CSI was plagued by two costly errors that allowed the final two runs to cross unearned. RBI hits by Willis Fernandez and Angeles were featured, followed by a big two-RBI single by Daniel Perez.
Down 9-8 going into the eighth inning, CSI needed a spark. While Angeles worked in to the eighth, CSI was able to deliver. Sullivan led off with a single, advancing to second via an RBI. DeWaters then stroked Sullivan home via a single to right field. After an advance to second and another out was registered, Roman then stepped up and delivered a huge two-out, RBI-double to center, plating DeWaters, and giving the Dolphins the 10-9 lead.
After Tom Matson got CCNY out in their half of the eighth, CSI tacked on two more insurance runs in the ninth. With bases loaded, CCNY was able to get two outs before DeWaters capped a sensational day with a two-run triple, giving CSI the 12-9 lead. Chris D’Antuono then came on to register the save for CSI, getting CCNY down in the ninth despite allowing the tying run to reach the plate.
DeWaters finished the game 3-for-5 with 4 RBI and two runs scored, while DiCasoli added three hits for the Dolphins, who tallied 17 overall. Tom Matson earned the win in relief, tossing 2.1 innings of scoreless relief, allowing two hits.
With Baruch dropping two of three in their weekend series to Lehman College, and by virtue of the sweep vs. CCNY, CSI now owns a three game lead in the standings over second-place Baruch College (5-4). The teams play a three-game set this weekend to conclude CUNYAC play. CSI will clinch the regular season title with a single win in the series. Baruch would have to defeat CSI three times to insure a first place tie (Baruch would win the tie via the head-to-head).
CSI will travel to SUNY-Old Westbury on Tuesday at 6:30pm riding a four-game win streak.