STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (April 21, 2015) – The Drew University baseball team fell at College of Staten Island, 11-2, on Tuesday evening in non-conference action.
 
Senior shortstop Steve Kowalski had one of the Rangers' seven hits –an RBI single in the fifth – and stole his 20^th base of the season in the setback.
 
On a brisk night for baseball, the game itself took a backseat to the namesake of a very special event that has become a yearly tradition in Staten Island. For the fifth straight year, the Dolphins hosted the Rangers for the Grace Hillery Breast Cancer Awareness Night. Before the first pitch, the Rangers – donning pink hats, pink tape and pink eye paint – toed the first baseline and heard the stories of some strong survivors and memories of those lost to the dreadful disease.
 
A portion of the nearly $8,000 raised during the event, in its 12^th installment this spring, is donated to the Staten Island Breast Cancer Research Initiative. The Rangers chipped in to the cause as Drew Director of Athletics Jason Fein and head coach Brian Hirschberg presented Dolphins head coach Michael Mauro with a check for $351, representing the entirety of the Rangers' meal money for game day.
 
After special guests Allie Vreeland, a breast cancer survivor, and Z100's Bethany Watson, the co-host of the Elvis Duran and the Morning Show, threw out the ceremonial first pitches, it was time to play ball. It was a quick start for the Dolphins, who retired the Rangers 1-2-3 in the top of the first and then quickly loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the frame. Drew senior starting pitcher Leo Ruiz wiggled out of trouble and allowed just one run, thanks to a brilliant double play by the middle of the Drew infield. Junior second baseman Anthony Feltre handled a high hop with ease and flipped quickly to Kowalski, who barehanded for the putout and fired to first for the double play. A run scored on the play, but Ruiz got a flyout to end the inning without further damage.
 
Staten Island added runs in the second and fourth, while the Dolphins starter silenced the Ranger bats until the fourth, when Miskura picked up Drew's first hit of the game.
 
The Rangers cracked the scoreboard in the fifth after senior designated hitter Michael Scarzafava was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a passed ball, and came around to score on Kowalski's RBI single up the middle.
 
After loading the bases for the third time on Tuesday, the Dolphins chased another run across in the bottom of the sixth for the 4-1 lead.
 
Staten Island piled on in the bottom of the seventh with a five-run frame to take a 9-1 lead. The Rangers got one back in the eights after hits by sophomore third baseman Jonathan Rodrigues and senior center fielder Al Krause set up an RBI single by senior outfielder J.C. Rasic.
 
Two more unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth set the final score at 11-2.
 
Drew wraps up non-conference play on Thursday, April 23 at 7:00 p.m. under the lights at Dodge Field in Madison for the Battle of Madison Avenue against archrival FDU-Florham.