April 24, 2010
Box Score
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Marist baseball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader to visiting Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opponent Saint Peter's on Saturday afternoon at McCann Baseball Field. The Peacocks took the first game 3-0 before holding on for a 3-2 win in game two.
Both teams received solid outings from their starting pitchers in both games. However, the Marist offense had a tougher time getting anything going against the Peacock's hurlers. Shortstop Richard Curylo (Staten Island, N.Y.) and second baseman John Prano (Oviedo, Fla.) were the only Marist players with multiple hits on the day, which all came in the second game.
In game one, Saint Peter's starter Mike Schaaf stifled the Red Foxes' offense, working the first 7.2 innings, allowing just four hits while striking out eight to improve to 3-2 on the year. Anthony DeLeo threw a perfect 1.1 innings in relief to pick up his fifth save.
Junior right-hander Kyle Putnam (New Windsor, N.Y.) was the tough-luck loser for Marist, dropping to 4-4 on the year. He worked the first 6.2 innings, allowing just one run on six hits while striking out three. Freshman righty Brett Houseal (Landisville, Pa.) allowed a pair of unearned runs in 1.1 innings. Sophomore right-hander Jake Rifkin (West Deptford, N.J.) tossed a scoreless ninth.
All of Saint Peter's scoring came in the seventh. Houseal, who relieved Putnam with two outs and pinch-runner Chris Christopoulos on second, came on and immediately walked Matt Mancini. On the next play, Sean McFadden singled up the middle and the ball bounced off Curylo's glove and into center-field, scoring Christopoulo. On the play, center fielder Jon Schwind's (Hilton, N.Y.) throw to third got past third baseman Zach Shank (Lilitz, Pa.), and Mancini came in to score to put the Peacocks up 2-0. McFadden, who advanced to third on the error, later scored on Justyn Carter's infield single to make it 3-0.
Catcher Bryce Nugent (Binghamton, N.Y.), first baseman Ryan Gauck (Clifton Park, N.Y.), Schwind, and Shank collected Marist's four hits. Carter collected two hits for Saint Peter's and McFadden went 1-for-3 with a run scored an RBI.
The solid pitching continued for both teams into game two, as both starters managed keep the game scoreless until the sixth. Saint Peter's managed to push across three runs against Marist starter B.J. Martin (Manalapan, N.J.), who worked the first 5.2 innings and allowed just the three runs to go with four walks and five strikeouts. The loss dropped Martin to 5-2 on the year.
Saint Peter's scoring came on RBI singles by Chris Grimes, Brian Koster, and Cody Haack, with Haack's single coming against reliever Sean McKeown (Hillsborough, N.J.), who worked the final 1.1 innings for the Red Foxes.
Marist began to mount a comeback in the bottom of the sixth, finally getting to Peacocks' starter Dom Macaluso. After Prano singled and Curylo doubled to put runners on second and third with no outs, reigning MAAC Rookie of the Week Ricky Pacione (Newburgh, N.Y.). DeLeo then walked Nugent to load the bases before inducing a third pop-up, this time from Michael Gallic (Tolland. Conn.), ending Marist's rally.
The Red Foxes made another attempt at a comeback in the bottom the seventh. After loading the bases on a walk and a pair of singles with no one out, DeLeo bounced back to strike out Curylo. Pinch-hitter Dan Zlotnick (Katonah, N.Y.) lifted a sac fly to center to cut it to 3-2 before Schwind flew out to center to end the game.
Macaluso worked five-plus innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out two. DeLeo pitched the final two innings, allowing one run on two hits and two walks, to pick up his second save of the day and sixth of the season.
With the two losses, Marist falls to 23-15 overall and 9-5 in the MAAC, while the wins improve Saint Peter's to 12-23 and 4-10, respectively.
The two teams meet again in the series finale Sunday at McCann Baseball Field. First pitch is scheduled for noon. Left-hander Chad Gallagher (3-1, 3.60) will take the mound for Marist. He'll be opposed by Peacocks lefty Jeremy Ives (2-3, 8.59).
