FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (May 8, 2026) – The fifth-seeded U.S. Merchant Marine Academy baseball team moved on to Championship Sunday for the second straight season with a pair of victories in win-or-go-home games on Friday in the 2026 Skyline Championship Double-Elimination Tournament. The Mariners opened the day with a dominant 16-0 victory against rival #2-seed SUNY Maritime in their first game and earned a 6-4 triumph over #3-seed St. Joseph's-L.I. in game two. USMMA will take on top-seed and host Farmingdale State on Sunday needing two victories to win the conference title.
Game Links
Game 1 Highlights
- The Mariners exploded out of the gate with a four-run first inning, taking advantage of multiple Privateer errors. Sophomore Luke Kruer (Sellersburg, Ind.) reached on an error that allowed classmate Braden Vazquez (Missouri City, Texas) to score the game's first run. Freshman Drew Davis (Springboro, Ohio) followed with an RBI groundout before Kruer crossed home plate on another error. Freshman Ryan Melton (Newnan, Ga.) capped the inning with an RBI triple to right center to give the Blue and Gray a 4-0 lead.
- USMMA added another run in the second inning when Kruer ripped an RBI double to left center to extend the advantage to 5-0.
- The Mariners continued to roll in the third inning as Melton launched a solo home run down the left field line to make it 6-0.
- Merchant Marine broke the game open in the fifth inning with three more runs. Freshman Axel Prechel (Corvallis, Ore.) delivered an RBI single through the left side, then another run scored on an error, and Fulton followed with an RBI double to push the lead to 9-0.
- Merchant Marine poured it on in the sixth inning as Kruer blasted a three-run home run to right field before Melton followed moments later with a two-run homer to extend the advantage to 14-0.
- Davis lined a two-run single up the middle in the seventh inning to cap the scoring and lead the Mariners to a 16-0 victory.
- The Blue and Gray recorded their 17th double-digit hitting performance of the season with seven players registering multi-hit games.
- KP belted four extra-base hits in the contest.
- Davis and Melton led the way with a game-high three hits each, while juniors Ricardo Olivares (Flower Mound, Texas) and Landon Troutt (Fairfield, Calif.), Vazquez, Kruer, and Fulton had two.
- Melton and Kruer drove in a game-high four runs each, and Davis posted three RBIs.
- Troutt scored a game-best three runs while senior Charles Cahalan (Overland Park, Kan.), Melton, Vazquez, and Kruer crossed the home plate twice.
- Melton went yard twice in the contest, and Kruer blasted a three-run homer of his own.
- Kruer and Vazquez both stole a base.
- Freshman Luke Sems (Oronoco, Minn.) tossed a complete game shutout for his third victory of the season and struck out six.
Game 2 Highlights
- St. Joseph's-Long Island struck first in the opening inning with an RBI single to take a 1-0 lead.
- The Mariners answered in the second inning as freshman Jason Brown (Marlton, N.J.) ripped an RBI triple to right center to even the score at 1-1.
- USMMA grabbed the lead in the third inning when Davis delivered a two-run single to right field to give the Blue and Gray a 3-1 advantage.
- The Golden Eagles rallied in the fifth inning, scoring three runs on a hit-by-pitch and a two-run single to regain a 4-3 lead.
- Merchant Marine answered in the sixth inning when Vazquez lined an RBI single through the right side to tie the game at 4-4.
- KP completed the comeback in dramatic fashion in the top of the ninth inning. Cahalan delivered a clutch two-run single to right field, to give the Mariners a 6-4 advantage.
- Senior Caden Pierce (Marietta, Ga.) held off a final rally from the Golden Eagles in the bottom of the ninth inning to secure his eighth save of the season and seal the 6-4 victory.
- Three Mariners registered multi-hit games as Vazquez, Davis, and Cahalan all recorded two hits apiece.
- Cahalan and Davis each drove in a team-high two runs.
- KP swiped three bases in the contest, with Kruer recording two steals and Troutt adding one.
- The Mariners' bullpen was flawless down the stretch, allowing no runs over the final four innings. Junior Tommy Chiappetti (Buckeye, Ariz.) tossed two scoreless innings and sophomore Travis Campbell (Alba, Texas) pitched a scoreless eighth inning with two strikeouts to earn his fourth victory of the season. Pierce shut the door in the ninth inning, allowing one hit and no runs.
Up Next
Kings Point advances to Skyline Championship Sunday and will take on the #1-seed and host Farmingdale State on Sunday, May 10 at 11 a.m. in Farmingdale, N.Y. The Mariners need two wins to win the conference title, while the Rams need just one. To view the "Championship Central" page set up by the Skyline Conference, click here. Live stats and live video links will be available on the USMMA Baseball Schedule Page.
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