KINGS POINT, N.Y. (April 9, 2022) – The USMMA baseball team swept conference foe Old Westbury in a Saturday doubleheader at Bartoszek Field, combining for 19 runs in the two games – with a 5-2 victory in Game 1 and a 14-5 victory in Game 2. Head Coach Mike Notebaert's squad went back over .500 by improving to 13-12 overall (6-2 Skyline), while the Panthers conversely fell to 7-19 overall (5-9 Skyline) in defeat.
 
Game Links

• Game 1 Box Score
• Game 2 Box Score
• WATCH: Postgame Interview With Junior Jared Chambers
• WATCH: Postgame Interview With Junior Joey Zanetti 

In a rematch of last season's Skyline Conference Championship Series, the Mariners handed the ball to sophomore Tyler Reistetter (Dickinson, Texas) in the opener. Reistetter shined on the mound once again by tossing his second-straight seven-inning complete game.
 
After taking down St. Joseph's-Brooklyn on Sunday, the lefty looked even more impressive this afternoon. The hurler allowed only two runs and four hits while striking out eight over seven innings. Reistetter improved to 3-2 on the year with the win, while Justin Aviles took the loss for the Panthers and fell to 1-5 on the season.
 
Merchant Marine helped out their southpaw with early and timely offense throughout. RBIs from senior Noah Herdman (Naperville, Ill.) and freshman Derek Vanasse (Camarillo, Calif.) got the Mariners off and running up 2-0. After the Panthers cut the deficit to 2-1 in the fifth, freshman Travis Leatherwood (Catonsville, Md.) answered in the bottom of the inning with a clutch two-out, two-run double to give the Mariners breathing room and a 4-1 lead. Junior Jared Chambers' (Houston, Texas) single chased home Leatherwood on the very next pitch to extend the lead to 5-1.
 
Reistetter would do the rest by navigating through a bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh to secure the win. Over his last 14 innings pitched, the reliable Reistetter has struck out 18 while allowing only three earned runs in that span.
 
Game 2 saw Reistetter take his talents to the plate as he and his teammates pounded out 16 hits. Freshman Michael Monkevich (Gaithersburg, Md.), the benefactor of the Mariners' offensive onslaught, earned the win and improved to 3-1 on the season. The freshman tossed five innings for the second-straight start and allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits. Eddie Guzman took the loss for Old Westbury and dropped to 1-3 on the year.
 
The Mariners once again found themselves up 2-0 thanks to a junior Joey Zanetti (Richmond, Va.) RBI walk and a wild pitch that allowed Leatherwood to subsequently race home all the way from second. After the Panthers jumped in front 4-2 in the fifth, Chambers quickly responded with a two-run single in the bottom of the frame. Freshman Jack Millen (Shelby, N.C.) followed his fellow middle infielder with a ringing RBI double.
 
It will not show up in the box score, but perhaps the largest play of the game was Zanetti gunning down Oscar Fajardo at the plate in the top of the sixth to keep the Mariners in front 5-4. On a Dominic Felicetti single, Zanetti threw a perfect two-hopper to freshman Garrett Clapsaddle (Murphy, N.C.) to end the inning.
 
Merchant Marine poured it on in the late innings, with RBIs in the sixth and seventh from Zanetti, Herdman, Chambers, and Reistetter. Chambers finished the twin bill a combined 5-for-7 with four RBI while Reistetter followed his complete game with a 3-for-5 day at the dish and an RBI.
 
Run-scoring doubles from Clapsaddle and senior Brayden O'Connell (Beaver Dams, N.Y.) put the icing on the cake for the Mariners, who moved above .500 for the first time since Feb. 27.
 
A quick turnaround is on the horizon for USMMA. The Mariners will take their boats across the water and battle arch-rival SUNY Maritime in a doubleheader in the Bronx tomorrow (Sunday, April 10) at high noon. More importantly, the Mariners can leapfrog the Privateers into second place the Skyline Conference standings if Merchant Marine can pull off their fourth-straight, in-conference doubleheader sweep. Live links for the rivalry doubleheader will be available on the USMMA Baseball Schedule Page.
 
Receive USMMA Baseball News Right To Your E-Mail!
If you would like to receive the latest news, including all press releases, for the USMMA baseball team (or any other team at the academy), sent directly to your e-mail, fill out this form.
 
Follow USMMA Athletics On Social Media!
Be sure to follow USMMA Athletics on social media to get up-to-the-minute updates on your favorite teams! Start following today on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!