Beavers Best Bloodhounds: City College Advances to the CUNYAC Championship

Bronx, N.Y. – As they high-fived each other and exchanged “good game” congratulations by second base, you couldn’t help but sense the confidence in the air at Ohio field.

It was just that kind of day for City College of New York (CCNY). It had everything working. With a 15-3 win over the John Jay College Bloodhounds on Wednesday, the Beavers advanced to the CUNY Athletic Conference Championship Series, which opens Friday against Lehman College.

“It’s a nice feeling. We’ve talked about making this journey back to the championship for a year,” said Steve Macias, head coach of the baseball team. “We have assembled a really good bunch of guys who are hungry and want to play.”

CCNY lost to Baruch in the 2022 Championship Series.

If there was any question about which way this game would go, it was answered by Johnathan Rivera’s monster three-run-home run in the bottom of the fifth inning.

All the Bloodhounds could do was watch as he circled the bases after the ball disappeared over the 330-foot marker in left centerfield.

“I love playing in high-stress situations,” Rivera said. “I really want to win it all this year.” Rivera would later double to left in the bottom of the seventh to complete hitting for the cycle. He ended the game 5-for-5 and drove in five runs.

Many Bloodhounds fans were in attendance but were silenced by the Beavers’ pitching. Starting pitcher James Dean Johnstone (JD) struck out seven through four innings, allowing two hits and only one run.

“I felt really good,” Johnstone said. “I had all my pitches, had all my stuff and I like to think that it showed.”

Brandon Paider picked up where Johnstone left off, filling in as a reliever in the top of the fifth. He threw three innings, striking out four while allowing two unearned runs. Usually a starter this year, Paider said he wasn’t fazed coming into a relief situation.  

 “I felt fine. I was a reliever last year. It wasn’t much of a difference for me.”  

Paider earned the win for the game, his seventh. He is now a record holder for most wins in a single season as a Beaver. 

Jose Colon pitched a shutout inning in the eighth and Jason Rodriguez struck out the side in the ninth to end the game.  

Tyler DiBlasi went 2-for-2, drawing two walks and scoring two runs. Stephen Suprun drove in two of the four runs plated in the fourth inning with a two-run home run to right. Leadoff hitter Ethan Angress went 3-for-6 in the effort, adding three runs on a bases-clearing triple in the sixth to shut the door. The Beavers took a 15-1 lead on the play.  

The team looks to continue success Friday against Lehman College. Despite winning their last three matchups against Lehman, Coach Macias says he won’t take any game for granted.   

“We have to go in there with the same hunger and attitude of wanting to be the best team.”