KINGS POINT, N.Y. (April 21, 2025) – The offense scored all of its runs with two outs and four pitches combined for 12 strikeouts as the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy baseball team notched a 9-1 victory in non-conference action against Saint Elizabeth. USMMA improved to 19-11, while Saint Elizabeth dropped to 14-19.
The win also gave the senior class 97 victories, a total that moves the group into the top spot as the winningest baseball class in program-history.
Game Links
Sophomore
David Cherwonuk (Chattanooga, Tenn.) struck out seven and allowed just one run in 5.0 innings of work to earn the victory. Freshman
Luke Kruer (Sellersburg, Ind.) went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run, while senior
Garrett Clapsaddle (Murphy, N.C.) and sophomore
Christian Gamez (Kent Island, Md.) had two RBI apiece. Sophomore
Tommy Chiappetti (Buckeye, Ariz.) finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, two walks and three runs scored, and classmate
Landon Troutt (Fairfield, Calif.) was 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored.
Cherwonuk had two strikeouts in a scoreless first and added another punchout in a 1-2-3 second before the Eagles grabbed a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly in the top of the third.
The Mariners promptly responded with three two-out runs in the bottom of the frame. After Chiappetti and Clapsaddle set the table with consecutive one-out walks, Kruer launched a two-out, three-run blast that made it a 3-1 ballgame.
Cherwonuk had two more strikeouts in the fourth and finished his outing with one more strikeout in the fifth.
Senior
Jacob Syversen (Land O' Lakes, Fla.) took the mound in the sixth and added two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 frame before freshman
Travis Campbell (Coleman, Texas) added a 1-2-3 seventh.
USMMA extended its lead with two more two-out runs in the seventh. Troutt started things with a one-out bunt single before Chiappetti worked a walk. Gamez then put the Mariners up, 5-1, with a two-out, two-run single.
After Kruer took the hill and had two more strikeouts in a 1-2-3 eighth, the Mariners tacked on four more two-out runs in the bottom of the frame for the final margin. A one-out single was followed by a caught stealing, but freshman
Braden Vazquez (Missouri City, Texas) doubled with two outs to keep the inning alive. Senior
Jack Millen (Shelby, N.C.) added an RBI single and took second on a passed ball before Troutt was plunked and Chiappetti added another RBI single. Clapsaddle then made it 9-1 with a two-run triple to left center.
The Mariners host John Jay for a non-conference game at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22.
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