The baseball team split a conference doubleheader on Sunday afternoon against the College of Staten Island.
The Bearcats won the first game, 6-5, to record their seventh win of the season, which is the most since 2001. They dropped the nightcap by the score of 11-6.
The doubleheader was originally scheduled to be played at Roberto Clemente State Park in the Bronx, but due to heavy overnight rain, the field was called unplayable during a morning inspection. As a result, after a marathon of phone calls, the doubleheader was moved to the College of Staten Island baseball field and promptly started, as scheduled, at 1:00 p.m.
Staten Island scored three runs in the first and two in the third to build a 5-0 lead. Mike Liconti (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) drove in three of the five runs with a single and double.
Baruch chipped away at the deficit with a third inning run scored by Alberto Nieves (Brooklyn, NY/Murry Bergtraum) on a ground out, followed by a run in the fourth on a wild pitch that scored Thomas Russo (Howard Beach, NY/St. Francis Prep) .
The team clinched the rally in the bottom of the fifth inning with four runs.
Paul Alfano (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) hit as triple to score Charles Dantone (Brooklyn, NY/Xaverian), while Max Loehrke (New York, NY/Brooklyn Tech) hit a sacrifice fly to score Alfano for the go-ahead run.
Tristan Cetto (Bellmore, NY/W.C. Mepham) pitched his third consecutive complete game victory with four strikeouts and two earned runs. He stopped a rally in the final inning with two on, one-out situation, by getting the last two batters to fly out.
In the night cap, Staten Island scored six runs in the first three innings to salvage the doubleheader split.
The Bearcats rallied to get as close as 7-6 in the fifth inning, but Staten Island scored three more runs in the sixth inning to put the game out of reach.
Joseph Ruiz (Staten Island/ St. Joseph by the Sea) led the Dolphins batting 2-2, with a walk, HBP, and three RBI. Anthony Hillery (Staten Island, NY/New Dorp) went 2-for-5, with two runs scored and one RBI.
Alfano, Loehrke, and Russo each had two hits for Baruch.
Baruch will return to action with a single non-conference game this Tuesday afternoon against Vassar. First pitch at Beach Channel High School in Queens is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
