KINGS POINT, N.Y. (April 16, 2022) – The USMMA baseball team swept a doubleheader from conference foe Purchase College on Saturday afternoon. Stellar pitching was the story for the Mariners once again, as Merchant Marine pitchers put Easter Eggs on the scoreboard by shutting out the Panthers with a 5-0 win in Game 1 and a 9-0 victory in Game 2.
 
With the victories, USMMA improved its record to 17-13 overall (9-3 Skyline), while Purchase fell to 10-14 overall (6-6 Skyline). 
 
Game Links

• Game 1 Box Score
• Game 2 Box Score
• WATCH: Postgame Interview With Sophomore Tyler Reistetter
• WATCH: Postgame Interview With Sophomore Kole Register 

It was southpaw sophomore Tyler Reistetter (Dickinson, Texas) who worked his magic on the mound in the opener. For the third consecutive start, Reistetter tossed a seven-inning complete game victory to improve to 4-2 on the year. Over his last three starts, Reistetter is 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA.
 
Reistetter caged the Panthers from start to finish by punching out six Purchase batters while only allowing one hit and three walks over his seven innings of artistry on the hill.
 
In what was a pitchers' duel until the bottom of the fourth, Ryan Castrataro was the tough-luck loser for Purchase and fell to 3-4 on the season. The Mariners broke the ice after junior Joey Zanetti (Richmond, Va.) reached on an error and was singled home by Skyline Conference RBI-leader senior Noah Herdman (Naperville, Ill.). Herdman's run-scoring hit was the first hit of the game for either side.
 
Herdman remains an unstoppable RBI machine, having driven in at least one run in 19 of his last 22 games.
 
Following in the footsteps of their upperclassman, freshmen Travis Leatherwood (Catonsville, Md.) and Garrett Clapsaddle (Murphy, N.C.) came through with huge two-out RBI.
 
Leatherwood roped a fastball through the right side to make it 2-0 Mariners. Clapsaddle followed with a two-run double to give Reistetter plenty of breathing room.
 
Leatherwood came through again two innings later by blooping a single to left to score Herdman with the fifth Mariners run.
 
Five runs were plenty for Reistetter, who finished off his seven-inning one-hitter for the complete game-victory.
 
It was a tough act to follow for sure, but Game 2 starter sophomore Kole Register (Virginia Beach, Va.) did just that. Register tossed seven scoreless innings of his own to move above .500 on the season with a 3-2 record. The right-hander allowed four hits and walked three while registering five punchouts. Over his last three starts, Register is 2-0 with a microscopic 0.44 ERA.
 
Game 2 started out just like the opener, with Register dueling against Purchase hurler Alex Doskoez for the first four innings. After Doskoez's exit after four shutout innings, USMMA went to work against the Panthers' bullpen.
 
Freshman Derek Vanasse (Camarillo, Calif.) broke the scoreless tie with a ringing RBI double to plate senior Matthew Novakowski (Hillsdale, N.J.). Merchant Marine's offensive avalanche continued with a Reistetter sacrifice fly, promptly followed by an RBI-double from Herdman to make it 3-0.
 
The Mariners' ship kept sailing thanks to an RBI bases-loaded walk from Leatherwood. Leading 4-0, Clapsaddle provided his second multi-RBI triple of the day, this one of the three-run variety. USMMA's catcher cleared the bases and later scored on an RBI single from Novakowski to put the Mariners up 8-0. Clapsaddle in the two games went a combined 2-for-6 with five ribeye steaks.
 
Drew Stabinsky, who gave up the first three runs of the Mariners' eight-run onslaught in the fifth, got tagged with the loss to drop to 0-1 on the season.
 
The icing on the cake was supplied by Leatherwood, whose single drove in junior Jared Chambers (Houston, Texas) to make it 9-0 Mariners. Leatherwood on the day went a combined 4-for-6 with four RBIs.
 
Scoreless innings from freshman Jacob Syversen (Land O' Lakes, Fla.) and sophomore Tommy Payton (Palm Harbor, Fla.) secured the day's second shutout and doubleheader sweep for the Mariners, who now have five shutouts on the season.
 
USMMA has tossed three straight shutout victories and a total of 26.1 consecutive scoreless innings. The Mariners' pitching staff could not have picked a better time to start throwing its best baseball all season.
 
Merchant Marine will look to conclude a perfect 4-0 homestand on Tuesday when they welcome the Baruch College Bearcats to Bartoszek Field. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. Live stats and a live video feed of the doubleheader will be available on the USMMA Baseball Schedule Page.
 
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