MSMC Dealt a Pair of Non-Conference Losses

FISHKILL – The Mount Saint Mary College Baseball team opened the 2016 home schedule on Sunday afternoon with a doubleheader loss to visiting Baruch. The Knights fell 5-4 in the opener with Baruch earning a come-from-behind 11-6 win to complete the sweep in game two.

 After falling behind 5-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning in game one, the Knights plated three runs in the home half of the fifth inning and another run in the bottom of the sixth to pull to within a run with one at-bat left.

 The Knights loaded the bases in the fifth inning with one out after Tom Huvane was hit with a pitch, Ryan Hayes singled and Vincenzo Pepe worked a walk. Sophomore Albert Estwick Jr cleared the crowded base paths with a triple to left center field to slice the deficit to 5-3.

Mount Saint Mary got a run closer in the sixth inning when Hayes delivered Blake Keenan with a one-out single through the left side. Huvane, who doubled early in the inning, advanced to third on the play to give the Knights runners at the corners with one out. The rally was thwarted when Baruch pitcher Ryan Smith induced a double play to end the inning.

 The Knights got the leadoff man on in the seventh inning when Papineau singled through the left side, but Smith got the Mount to ground into its third double play of the game and got a fly out to earn his first save of the season.

 Hayes finished game one 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI with Estwick rounding out the contest 1-for-2 with three RBI and a walk.

Mount Saint Mary used six pitchers in the game with Chris Wolfe suffering the loss after working 2.0 innings and recording two of the team’s three strikeouts in the game. Ryan Warner picked up the win with 5.0 innings of work and Smith posted the save with 2.0 innings of work in relief.

 In game two, Mount Saint Mary plated single runs in each of its first three at-bats to move in front 3-2. Matt Cahill got the Mount on the board when he drove in Louie Rivera with a sacrifice fly and got its second run when Hayes scored on a double play ball. The Knights’ third run came when Cahill singled home Rivera in the third inning.

 Mount Saint Mary spread its lead to 6-2 when it pushed across three runs in the home half of the fifth inning. Keenan tripled home Cahill and Papineau and he later scored when Louie DeAngelis pushed a single through the left side.

 Trailing 6-2, Baruch battled back to tie the score in the home half of the sixth and broke the game open with five runs in its final at-bat. After three straight walks to start the sixth inning, the Bearcats got a two-run double from Donovan Hunt and a run scoring single from Dan Daley.

 In the seventh, Baruch sent nine players to the plate, receiving an RBI triple from Jasdeep Buttar and a two-run single from John Paul Cattaro.

 Cahilll and Keenan each drove in two runs in game two for the Knights, with Papineau going 2-for-3 with a run scored. Papineau was also hit with a pitch and stole a pair of bases in game two on Sunday.
 Kevin Duffy struck out three batters in relief in game two, while freshman Nick Peterson was saddled with the loss after seeing five unearned runs scored in 1.0 inning of work. Bogdon Leyton picked up the win for Baruch with two scoreless innings of work.

 At 0-5 overall, Mount Saint Mary will continue a six game home stand on March 4 when it plays host to Brockport. First pitch at Dutchess Stadium is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.