This Just In: Beavers Win!!

Brooklyn, N.Y.– The City College of New York (CCNY) baseball team has a knack for the dramatic. Down to their final three outs and trailing by one, the Beavers exploded for 13 runs to beat Lehman College 20-8 on Friday in Game 2 of the CUNY Athletic Conference Championship Series at Maimonides Park.

The two-game sweep of the Lightning gives CCNY its first conference baseball title since 1994 and completes a mission envisioned after losing the championship series a year ago.

Michael Chasanov came to bat in the ninth inning of Game 2 with the bases loaded and CCNY trailing Lehman 8-7 after scoring four times in the bottom of the seventh.

City College needed a big hit and Chasanov delivered with a single on a line drive to center field. The tying and go-ahead runs crossed the plate and Beavers’ fans, simmering all inning, let out a proud cheer. A pumped-up Chasanov said, “It’s all about the team.” Before he stepped up, he was motivated by the words “Just have fun out there” from pitcher JD Johnstone standing on the top step of the dugout.

After seeing Lehman go deep into their bullpen during a 10-0 loss to the Beavers in Game 1, coach Steve Macias said the game plan became to wear the pitching out. After the game he said, “Their bullpen was a little thin. We knew if we could get them to throw pitches, we could score some runs.”City College would go on a rally of their own, turning a one-run deficit into a 12-run lead by the end of their half inning. Relief pitcher Richard Vento came in and delivered a quick bottom inning to seal the deal on the City College win.

City College had reason to be confident. It won four out of their last five matchups against Lehman coming into the game, including the 10-0 victory in Game 1 earlier on Friday. In that first game, JD Johnstone led the charge, pitching a scoreless eight innings to accompany five strikeouts.

They also enjoyed success early in Game 2. Freshman Kevin Budzinski drove in two with a single and a solo home run to left. John Creegan went 4-for-6, driving in three and scoring two.

Pitcher Brandon Paider got the start for City College. He allowed four runs and struck out seven in five innings before the drama began in the seventh.

The win is also significant to the team after feeling the effects Covid-19 had on the game. “The school didn’t have baseball for two years due to Covid,” Johnstone said. “I wasn’t on that team but a lot of the players that are seniors and juniors were on that team. . . . it’s more fulfilling to me that they won.”

Creegan, one of the players who was on the team when Covid-19 disrupted the 2020 and 2021 seasons, said this win feels amazing. “We stuck through it when we weren’t playing at all and now to be rewarded with the championship, it means everything,” he said.

After getting so close last year, senior Johnathan Rivera wanted to win the championship before he graduated. “It just feels surreal,” he said. “We all worked really hard to get here.”

Assistant coach Scott Losche, who joined the program in 2004, was overjoyed after the game. “It means a lot, it really does,” Losche said. “To see it start way back and win the championship, I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”