CUNYAC Men's Baseball - April 29, 2002

CUNYAC / SPRINT PCS STANDINGS

* Won regular season title

LAST WEEK RESULTS
Staten Island 3, Old Westbury 2
Old Westbury 12, Baruch 4
Ramapo 10, John Jay 5
Drew 9, Staten Island 2
Mount St. Mary 13, John Jay 4
Staten Island 1, Old Westbury 0
John Jay 12, New Jersey City 4

CUNYAC Semifinals @ Staten Island
Staten Island 12, Baruch 3
John Jay 9, Lehman 6

CSI & JOHN JAY ADVANCE TO THE CUNY BASEBALL FINAL

Staten Island, NY - Staten Island Dolphins and John Jay Bloodhounds won their CUNY / Sprint PCS Tournament semifinal games to advance to the Championship game on Thursday. Top seeded Staten Island dropped #4 Baruch 12-3, while John Jay defeated Lehman 9-6 in the second game of the semifinal doubleheader at the College of Staten Island field.

Staten Island (24-9) broke open a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the fifth with four runs as Russell Stefanski and Tom Wohlfit drove home two runs apiece with a double and a single, respectively. The Dolphins put the game out of reach an inning later as they tagged on five more runs, highlighted by a two-run triple by Wohlfit to right centerfield. Wohlfit was 2 for 4 with four RBIs with pitcher Lino Isabel (5-2) going the distance, allowing nine hits, one earned run and striking out nine in earning his 5th win of the year.

"It's a pleasure to be back as a head coach in CUNY," said Tarasko, who was the head coach at CCNY for eight season, winning CUNY's in 1994. "We're a very young team and we will continue to develop throughout the season."

"I am proud of our guys," said Dolphin skipper Bill Cali, whose team reached their third straight CUNY tournament finale. "I am glad we are staying focused and that the team will have a chance to get the CUNY title to CSI."

Baruch (0-23), who captured their first CUNY title a year ago over CSI, ended this campaign winless despite a season-high 9 hits. William Louie, Gary Alford and Edwin Fernandez paced the Statesmen with two hits each. Game two saw the Bloodhounds bounce back from an early 4-2 deficit with back-to-back three run innings in the third and the fourth to knock off Lehman (9-20). Freshman Reliever Kevin Anza stopped the bleeding in the Lehman four-run second inning and allowed just two runs on five hits thereafter over 7 innings.

Mike Ramirez provided the big hit in the fourth for John Jay (8-24) with a two-run single that pushed the 'Hound lead to 7-4 and knocked out Lightning starting pitcher Moises Rivera. Ramirez also brought home the final run for John Jay with a RBI infield single. Steve Vera went 3-5 on the day with two runs scored and Adris Fortunato added two hits and a run as John Jay reached the CUNY final for the first time since 1999 when they won. For Lehman, Eddie Roman went 2-4 with an RBI triple and a run scored, while Robert Molina added a two-run double in the second inning.

"Kevin [Anza] is our future and I feel confident giving him the ball anytime," said John Jay coach Dan Palumbo. "We have just 14 guys on this team but they all come ready to play and that's the way it will be on Thursday." The Championship game is slated for Thursday, May 2nd at 6:00 pm at the College of Staten Island Baseball Complex.

--CUNYAC--