KINGS POINT, N.Y. (April 6, 2025) – The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy baseball team bounced back from a 4-3 loss in game one and earned a doubleheader split against Manhattanville with a 4-2 victory in game two. USMMA moved to 13-9 (5-1 Skyline), while Manhattanville moved to 13-12 (3-5 Skyline).
 
Game Links

• Box Score-1
• Box Score-2

Game 1
USMMA held a 2-0 lead through five frames, but surrendered four runs in the sixth and fell by a 4-3 score in the opener. Freshman Luke Kruer (Sellersburg, Ind.) finished 2-for-3 with two RBI, while classmate Braden Vazquez (Missouri City, Texas) went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Freshman Cody White (San Diego, Calif.) struck out nine, but took the loss after allowing four runs in 6.0 innings of work.
 
White rolled three groundouts in a 1-2-3 first before USMMA took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the frame. Vazquez led off with an infield single before senior Garrett Clapsaddle (Murphy, N.C.) was plunked and sophomore Christian Gamez (Kent Island, Md.) worked a walk to load the bases with two outs. Kruer then came through with a two-run single that gave the Mariners a 2-0 lead.
 
White worked around back-to-back one-out singles in the second before striking out a pair in a 1-2-3 third. The righty allowed a leadoff double in the fourth, but induced a groundout and added two more strikeouts to end the frame. White then struck out two more in a 1-2-3 fifth.
 
Manhattanville, however, loaded the bases with no outs to set up a four-run sixth. Back-to-back walks started the inning before a single loaded the bases. White bounced back with a strikeout, but an RBI single put the Valiants on the board. Manhattanville then took the lead with a two-out, two-run single before a wild pitch allowed another run to score as the Valiants grabbed a 4-2 lead.
 
USMMA responded in the bottom of the sixth as sophomore Ricardo Olivares (Flower Mound, Texas) made it a 4-3 game with a two-out RBI double, but the Mariners would strand the tying run on first in the seventh to end the game.
 
Game 2
Sophomore Tommy Chiappetti (Buckeye, Ariz.) allowed just one unearned run in 6.0 innings as the Mariners earned a doubleheader split with a 4-2 victory in game two. Senior Danny Heck (Massillon, Ohio) went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI, while Kruer was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Chiappetti allowed just five hits, all singles, and struck out three on the mound, while also going 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored at the plate.
 
An error opened the second and helped Manhattanville manufacture a run. After a sacrifice bunt and a stolen base, an RBI single put the visitors up, 1-0.
 
The Mariners knotted the game at 1-1 in the third as Heck led off the inning by launching a home run to left field.
 
Chiappetti worked a 1-2-3 fourth and the USMMA offense took the lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. Clapsaddle led off with a single before Kruer put the Mariners on top with an RBI double. Kruer then stole third before Heck made it a 3-1 ballgame with a two-out RBI single.
 
Chiappetti helped his own cause as the Mariners tacked on a run in the fifth. Chiappetti led off with a single and stole second before scoring on a Kruer RBI single that gave USMMA a 4-1 lead.
 
A leadoff walk in the eighth eventually came around to score on a wild pitch as the Valiants cut the lead to 4-2, but junior Caden Pierce (Marietta, Ga.) shut the door in the ninth to earn the save.
 
The Mariners host CCNY in non-conference action at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9.
 
Sign Up To Receive Baseball News Directly To Your E-Mail
If you would like to receive the latest news for the USMMA baseball team (or any other team at the Academy), including all press releases, 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!