Riverdale, N.Y. – The College of Mount Saint Vincent Baseball team dropped a tough 2-1 decision to non-conference foe Baruch on Tuesday afternoon at Van Cortlandt Park. Senior Chris Sideli (Brooklyn, N.Y.) drove home Leutrim 'Tim' Hoxha (Forest Hills, N.Y.) in the fourth inning for the Mount's lone run of the game.
 
Baruch jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Zachary Uher delivered Angel Tejeda with a run scoring groundout. Tejeda led off the inning with a single before stealing second and advancing to third on a groundout to shortstop.
 
Mount Saint Vincent would load the bases in the home half of the second, but would strand three runners before getting the equalizer in the fourth. Mike Esposito (Rockaway Park, N.Y.) led off the fourth getting hit with a pitch before getting pinch run for by Casey Surdi (West Babylon, N.Y.). After Surdi was retired on the base paths, Hoxha and Keith Brodesser (Copiague, N.Y.) singled to put runners on the corners with two outs. Sideli followed with a single up the middle to bring the Mount even at 1-1.
 
The two teams would remained deadlocked until the sixth when Baruch broke through with the eventual game winning run. Nicholas Pomo-Roman walked to start the inning before stealing second. After the next two batters were retired, Pomo-Roman took third on a wild pitch before coming home on an Uher single to center field.
 
The Dolphins would put the tying run in scoring position in the sixth, eighth and ninth innings on Tuesday, including getting a man to third with one out in the sixth but could not push the equalizing run across.
 
Five different Mount Saint Vincent players finished the game with one hit, including Sideli who went 1-for-1 with a walk and an RBI. Hoxa also went 1-for-1 with a run and a walk and Keith Schroeher (Riverhead, N.Y.) finished up 1-for-4 with a double and a walk. Surdi walked twice for the Mount and Esposito reached twice after getting hit with a pitch.
 
The Bearcats also had five players with one hit in the game, including Uher who finished 1-for-2 with a pair of RBI. Philip Loprete collected the team's only extra base hit with an eighth inning double with Pomo-Roman and Tejeda scoring the team's runs.
 
Mount Saint Vincent used four pitchers in the game, with Michael Kuczinski (Millstone Township, N.J.) making the start and working 4.0 innings. He allowed one run on one hit in the outing and surrendered one walk. Corey Hourahan (Providence, R.I.) suffered the loss and fell to 0-1 after working 2.0 innings and allowing one run on three hits. He struck out two for the Dolphins.
 
Ryan Smith picked up the win in relief for Baruch with 4.2 innings of work. He allowed one run on three hits and struck out one. Eric Peralta picked up the save with 3.0 shutout innings of work, fanning four and allowing just one hit.
 
Tuesday's loss is Mount Saint Vincent's third straight and drops it to 5-9 overall on the season. The Dolphins will return to Skyline Conference play on Saturday when they play host to Farmingdale State. First pitch at Van Cortlandt Park is set for 12:00 p.m.

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