Mount Saint Mary Blue Knights Rally Past NJCU

FISHKILL – The Mount Saint Mary College Baseball team used a six-run eighth inning Friday afternoon to rally for an 8-4 non-conference victory over New Jersey City University. Ryan Lutinski drove in the deciding run with a pinch hit single in the eighth inning.
Friday’s win pushes Mount Saint Mary to 2-3 overall on the season with NJCU slipping to 4-2 overall.

The Gothic Knights plated two runs in their first at-bat to open a 2-0 lead.

Jimmy Vizzoni scored the game’s first run following a two-out error ahead of a two-out single from John Abrahamsen that delivered Dom Yarson.

The Knights got a run back in the bottom of the first following a one-out triple from Anthony Franco and an infield safety off the bat of Devin Tait.

NJCU spread its lead to 4-1 after plating two more runs in the top of the fourth frame.
Arian Lunar started the inning with a single and after stealing second was chased home on a single from Caleb Ware.

Vizzoni later drove in Ware with a sacrifice fly to give the visitors a three-run cushion.

Mount Saint Mary chipped away at the deficit with a single run in the fifth when Jack Goodwin scampered home on a wild pitch with two outs in the inning.

Neither team would score again until the big eighth frame from the Knights.

Mount Saint Mary strung together five hits in the inning and took advantage of two walks to surge in front for good in the game.

Brandon Nolasco and Adam Leone singled to start the rally with Coleman Barnes drawing a walk to load the bases with one out.

Liam Merlin singled through the left side to deliver Nolasco with the inning’s first run and Robert Brust drove in the tying run with a bases loaded walk that pushed Frank Signorelli across.

Lutinski shot a single through the left side the drove in Barnes with Goodwin adding a sacrifice fly that drove in Merlin.

Franco closed out the scoring in the game with a two-out, two-run double that delivered Alex Nalewajik and Brust with the final runs of the contest.

NJCU put two runners on in the ninth, but Michael DiGiovanni got a groundout to second to close the game out.

For The Knights
Franco finished the game 2-for-5 with a triple and a double to go along with a run and two RBI.

Tait finished 2-for-5 with an RBI.

Merlin closed the day 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

Nolasco recorded a hit and a run.

Lutinski drove in the deciding run in his only at-bat of the game.

Liam Horan made the start and allowed two unearned runs on four hits over 3.0 innings.

Ryan Lockhart worked a scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout.

John Morehead earned the win with a scoreless top of the eighth inning.

DiGiovanni worked a scoreless ninth, recording one strikeout.

For The Gothic Knights
Vizzoni finished 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

Abrahamsen recorded two hits, including a double, and drove in a run.

Lunar collected two hits and scored a run.

Ali Pompey worked 6.0 innings, allowing two runs on five hits while fanning two.

Justin Wiltsey suffered the loss after allowing three runs in 1.1 innings of work.