April 19, 2009
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Marist baseball team rallied for three sixth-inning runs, and senior closer Jacob Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y.) got the last five outs to preserve a one-run lead as the Red Foxes earned a 6-5 non-conference victory over New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) at McCann Baseball Field on Sunday. The Red Foxes took two out of three from the Bears in the weekend series.
Senior right-hander B.J. Martin (Manalapan, N.J.) pitched six innings to earn the victory, as he improved to 3-3. Martin allowed six hits, one walk and four runs, two of which were earned. He struck out seven.
With Marist holding a 6-5 lead, Wiley entered the game with one out in the eighth and runners on first and second. After inducing a fielder's choice grounder, he walked NYIT shortstop Brian Smith to load the bases. But Wiley got out of the jam by forcing center fielder Denten Neill to line out to senior right fielder Kyle Meyer (East Greenbush, N.Y.) to end the inning.
In the ninth, NYIT third baseman Effren Valdez led off with a single. First baseman Christian Dienna followed with a bunt that was fielded by first baseman Ryan Gauck (Clifton Park, N.Y.), who threw to shortstop Richard Curylo (Staten Island, N.Y.) at second for one, who got it back to second baseman Ricky Pacione (Newburgh, N.Y.) covering first to complete the double play. Wiley then struck out designated hitter Chris Ruffler to end the game. It was Wiley's fourth save of the season.
NYIT opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first, but the Red Foxes answered with one in the bottom of the first. Curylo led off with a single, and scored on a two-out single by red-shirt sophomore catcher Bryce Nugent (Binghamton, N.Y.). The Red Foxes then took a 2-1 lead in the third when freshman center fielder Jon Schwind (Hilton, N.Y.) tripled and then scored on a double by Pacione.
NYIT scored three times in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead, but the Red Foxes answered in the fourth with a run. Freshman third baseman George Agostini (Rehoboth, Mass.) led off the inning with a double, and scored on a single by Gauck.
The Red Foxes' three-run rally in the sixth came on just two hits, and was aided by two NYIT errors. With runners on first second, Meyer bunted down the third-base line. He reached on a single, and the throw from Valdez was errant, allowing both Gauck and senior left fielder Brian McDonough (Hanover, Mass.) to score. The Red Foxes added another run on an error to take a 6-4 lead.
Schwind finished 3-for-5 with a run scored, while Nugent and Gauck had two hits apiece.
With the win, Marist climbs over the .500 mark at 19-18. NYIT falls to 12-21.
The Red Foxes return to action on Wednesday with a non-conference game at Vermont. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.
