April 3, 2008
Box Score
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Marist baseball team won its second straight game on Thursday, earning a 6-5 home triumph over NYIT in a non-conference game. Sophomore shortstop Richard Curylo (Staten Island, N.Y.) and freshman second baseman Ricky Pacione (Newburgh, N.Y.) led the Red Foxes with three hits apiece.
After NYIT scored a run in the top of the first, Curylo led off the bottom of the first with a home run to left field. In his last four games, Curylo is 11-for-17 (.647) with six RBIs and three extra-base hits.
The Red Foxes would end up taking the lead for good with two more runs in the bottom of the first. Pacione followed Curylo with a single. He then stole second, advanced to third on a balk, and scored on a sacrifice fly from freshman center fielder Michael Gallic (Tolland, Conn.). Marist scored its third run of the first inning when sophomore left fielder Ryan Gauck (Clifton Park, N.Y.), who had reached on a walk, came in on a wild pitch.
Marist added a run in the second to make it 4-1, and the Red Foxes led 5-3 in the eighth when junior designated hitter Zach Starkey (Aurora, Ill.) singled home Kyle LaHonta (Walnut Creek, Calif.).
NYIT battled back in the ninth, as the Bears loaded the bases with no outs. Center fielder Bob Garland drove in a run with fielder's choice to cut the Marist lead to 6-4. After a fly out to right field by third baseman Denten Neill did not advance the runners, shortstop Nick LaLuna's single to left scored second baseman Brian Smith to make it 6-5. However, Marist freshman right-hander Brendan Chapin (South Weymouth, Mass.) was able to pitch out of the jam by getting NYIT catcher Greg Gilroy to ground out to second to end the game.
Chapin, who pitched the ninth, earned his first career save. The Red Foxes used eight pitchers in the game, with all but one going one full inning apiece. Sophomore right-hander Richard Cary (Binghamton, N.Y.) was credited with the victory, his staff-leading third of the season. Chapin picked up his first career save. Sophomore right-hander Eric Alessio (Nyack, N.Y.) and freshman left-hander Sean McKeown (Hillborough, N.J.) each turned in 1-2-3 innings in the sixth and seventh, respectively. Junior right-hander Jacob Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y.) recorded four strikeouts in his two innings of work.
LaLuna led NYIT with three hits, and Gilroy added two. Jerry Smith drove in a pair of runs for the Bears (6-10), and Brian Smith scored two. Steve Faulkner (1-2) took the loss for NYIT, giving up five runs in 4.1 innings of work. He was relieved by Matt Doran, who gave up one run in the final 3.2 innings.
Marist now stands at 7-12 on the season. The Red Foxes will return to action this weekend with a three-game Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference series at Iona. The teams will play a doubleheader at noon on Saturday, followed by a single game Sunday at noon.
