When and Where:
May 8, 2026 – Farmingdale, N.Y.
Records:
St. Joseph's (L.I.) 22-20, Merchant Marine 24-15
Result:
The St. Joseph's University, New York (L.I.) baseball team season ends in a 6-4 Skyline Conference Championship Tournament loss to USMMA.
Key Performers:
- Marco Gullo finished 1-for-4 with two RBIs.
- Joe Hackal went 1-for-3 with one RBI, one stolen base, and was hit by a pitch.
- Dom Crema recorded one hit and scored one run.
- Alex Johnston added one hit and one run scored.
- Joe Thatcher collected one hit and drove in one run.
- Ryan Kurre scored one run, walked twice, and stole a base.
How It Happened:
- St. Joseph's opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning. Hackal singled through the right side and later stole second before Thatcher delivered an RBI single to give the Golden Eagles a 1-0 advantage.
- Merchant Marine answered in the second inning on an RBI triple from Jason Brown before taking a 3-1 lead in the third following a two-run single by Drew Davis.
- The Golden Eagles responded with a three-run fifth inning to reclaim the lead. Crema reached after being hit by a pitch and Johnston followed with a single down the right field line. After Ryan Kurre worked a walk to load the bases, Hackal was hit by a pitch to force in a run before Gullo lined a two-run single through the right side to put St. Joseph's ahead, 4-3.
- Merchant Marine tied the game in the sixth inning on an RBI single from Braden Vazquez.
- The Mariners regained the lead in the ninth inning after Charles Cahalan delivered a two-run single to right field, making it 6-4.
- St. Joseph's threatened in the bottom of the ninth after Frankie Asaro singled with two outs, but Merchant Marine recorded the final out to secure the victory.
Notes:
- St. Joseph's finished with six hits in the contest.
- The Golden Eagles turned two double plays defensively.
