STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – The D'Youville University baseball team split a doubleheader against the College of Staten Island on Friday to begin their final series of the season.
 
Staten Island 15, D'Youville 9
 
After Saints' starter Chris Auclair (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) threw a scoreless first inning, the Dolphins got on the board with two runs on a walk and two hits to take a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second. In the top of the third, senior Dillon Crook (Liverpool, N.Y.) singled and junior Kevin Del Vecchio (Niagara Falls, Ontario) walked to set up a two-run single from redshirt junior Jake Hollins (Orchard Park, N.Y.) to tie the game at 2-2.
 
Staten Island went back in front in the bottom of the fourth, scoring on a wild pitch with the bases loaded to take a 3-2 lead. Auclair bounced back to strike out the batter to avoid further damage. Del Vecchio led off the top of the fifth with a double and came around to score on an error to level the game at 3-3. Later in the inning, Morris put DYU ahead with an RBI single and junior Colby Wilson (Webster, N.Y.) followed with a base hit of his own to bring in another run and extend their lead to 5-3.
 
The lead wouldn't hold, though, as Staten Island responded with five runs in the bottom of the fifth to end Auclair's day and take an 8-5 lead. The Saints got two runs back in the top of the sixth when Crook clubbed his second home run of the season and senior Alec Boucher (Essex, Ontario) sent an RBI single through the left side to make it an 8-7 game.
 
Sophomore Mihir Manerikar (Mississauga, Ontario) tossed a scoreless frame in the bottom of the sixth to keep DYU within one. After Morris was hit by a pitch to start the top of the seventh, Wilson slugged a two-run homer to give the Saints a 9-8 advantage. The Dolphins answered back with four runs in the bottom of the inning, however, to take a 12-9 lead. They tacked on three more in the eighth and went on to seal the 15-9 victory.
 
D'Youville 15, Staten Island 2
 
DYU came out with a vengeance in game two. After Morris hit a leadoff single and Del Vecchio walked, Boucher doubled to bring them in and give the Saints a 2-0 lead. Then, Wilson walked and Crook laid down a bunt single to load the bases with one out. Redshirt sophomore Michael Huff II (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) drew a bases loaded walk to make it 3-0 and junior Garett Wilson (Webster, N.Y.) ripped a two-run single to make it 5-0. Morris then hit a three-run bomb to left center to extend the lead 8-0. Del Vecchio followed with a solo shot as the Saints put up a nine-spot in the top of the first.
 
DYU continued to pour it on in the top of the second. Redshirt sophomore Jacob Cooper (Erie, Pa.) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in the tenth run of the day. Huff and Morris both hit sacrifice flies to plate two more runs and extend their lead to 12-0.
 
Morris got the start on the mound as well and tossed two scoreless frames on just one hit for the Saints. After allowing a leadoff single in the bottom of the second, he induced a ground ball double play to end the inning. Senior Zach Penner (Leamington, Ontario) replaced Morris in the bottom of the third and threw a scoreless inning with a strikeout.
 
A double from Morris and walks from Garett Wilson and Del Vecchio set up a sacrifice fly from Hollins to extend the lead to 13-0 in the top of the fourth. Staten Island got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, pushing across a pair of runs to make it 13-2. DYU added another run in the top of the fifth when Cooper grounded into a double play, making it 14-2.
 
Junior Austin Delgado (Orlando, Fla.) hurled a scoreless inning and struck out two in the bottom of the fifth for the Saints. In the top of the sixth, a walk from Hollins and a double from redshirt freshman Lucas Penner (Leamington, Ontario) set up an RBI single by senior Chris Stefan (Oakville, Ontario) to extend their lead to 15-2. Senior Connor Bowman (Orchard Park, N.Y.) and redshirt sophomore Sean Glinski (Sloan, N.Y.) both threw scoreless innings for DYU to close out the 15-2 win.
 
D'Youville is now 13-32 and 7-11 in the ECC. They will close out their regular season schedule on Saturday with a doubleheader against Staten Island beginning at 10:00 a.m.