The Baruch College Bearcats had a bittersweet Thursday at the College of Staten Island Baseball Complex in the first day of the CUNY Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) Baseball Championships.

The Bearcats started strong with an emphatic 19-7 win to eliminate the higher-seeded Beavers and advance to the double-elimination portion of the three day weekend tournament.

The Bearcats plated six runs before the Beavers got their first chance at the plate. In the end, they erupted for 18 hits to punch their ticket to the next round. 

Michael McGroarty stretched his hitting streak to 14 games, batting 4-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI. Davic Capellan also had four four hits, including a triple, for the winning rout.

Paul Sirakowski  earned his sixth win of the season behind 10 strikeouts.

In the second game, the Bearcats could not overcome a big start by the host Dolphins and suffered an 11-2 loss.

The Bearcats two runs came via an RBI single by Capellan and an RBI double by Edwin St. Hilaire.