Written by Joshua Soto (SJC-LI Sports Information)

Fort Myers, FL | The St. Joseph's College (L.I.) baseball team began its first game of the Gene Cusic Classic taking down the Western Connecticut State University Colonials in a 9-7 thriller at Terry Park on Saturday night.

With the win, the Golden Eagles improve to 2-0 on the season while the Colonials fall to 6-6.

Tied 7-7 with the Golden Eagles batting in the top of the night, the speedy Matthew Burnett was able give SJC its first lead of the night scoring the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. Lou Fontinha then scored Tyler Crafa with a sacrifice fly to left field to secure the 9-7 win.

PJ Martino got the start tossing 2.2 innings allowed seven hits and struck out four batters. Nick Clemente earned his first win of the season in his two innings of work striking out one batter and didn't allow a hit.

Paul Britt had a team-best 3-for-4 day driving in one run and scoring two runs in the contest. Dylan Piscitelli's solo homerun in the sixth was his first of the season, while Anthony Raucci and Daniel Campanelli each registered two-hits apiece.

The Colonials started off the game scoring the contest's first run in the first inning when Bill Buscetto hit into a fielder's choice to score a run.

WCSU followed the first inning by putting up a three-spot in the second inning when singles by Buscetto and Zach Sagar increase the hosts' lead to 6-0.

SJC started to cut its deficit by five (6-1) in the top of the third, when Piscitelli singled to center field to drive in Burnett, but the Colonials answered back with a run of their own. Piscitelli began the sixth with a momentum-changing homerun over the right field fence, Raucci's RBI single, and a two-run double by Tyler Sanderson plated SJC's fifth and sixth run.

The Golden Eagles will continue to play in the Gene Cusiac Classic with a split-squad contest taking on St. Lawerence and Johns Hopkins on March 19. Both games are slated to begin at noon.