FARMINGDALE, NY – The College of Mount Saint Vincent Baseball team advanced to its first ever Skyline
Conference Championship Round on Saturday with a 14-12 win over Mount Saint Mary and a 10-0 triumph over St. Joseph's (LI). Freshman
John McManus (Bayside, NY) led the offensive attack against the Mount Saint Mary with four hits and five RBI.
After falling behind 8-0 to the Blue Knights, the Dolphins exploded for 14 runs in their final six at-bats. Mount Saint Vincent plated a pair of runs in the third and then went on to score five runs in the fifth and the eighth to pick up the win. McManus led the 18 hit attack by going 4-5 with five driven in.
McManus was one of five Dolphins with at least two hits in the game. James Labartino (Holbrook, NY) and Joe Blackford (Stewartsville, NJ) each went 3-5 in the game for the Mount. Labartino scored three runs for the Dolphins, while Blackford crossed with one run and drove in four. Michael Pope (Massapequa, NY) and Tanner Munroe (Milford, CT) each collected two hits, two runs and an RBI.
Nick Triolo (Homer, NY) picked up the win in relief for the Mount after working 2.0 innings. He allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits. He did not strike out a batter and walked one. Blackford recorded his fifth save of the season after pitching the final two frames. He surrendered a run on two hits, while fanning one Blue Knight batter.
Mount Saint Vincent would plate the would be game winning run in the home half of the second against St. Joseph's. Nick Canzano (Farmington, NY) drove in a pair of runs with a one out double down the left field line to send the Mount to the win and the league championship round.
The Dolphins would go on to score three more runs in the fifth, before plating five runs in their final two at-bats. Eddie Park (East Meadow, NY) went 3-5 with three runs scored out of the leadoff spot for the Mount, while Blackford continued to swing a hot bat, going 3-5 with three runs and three RBI.
Zach Munroe (Milford, CT) picked up the win for the Mount after firing seven shutout innings. He allowed just four base hits, while striking out five. Corey Kirsh (East Meadow, NY) worked the final two innings for the Dolphins, allowing three hits.
The wins on Saturday move Mount Saint Vincent's overall record to 22-14. The Dolphins will take on top seeded Farmingdale State on Saturday with a chance to earn the Skyline Conference's Automatic Bid to the NCAA Tournament.
