Baseball Sweeps Albertus Magnus Jumping Out To Best Start in School History

YAPHANK, N.Y. – The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team captured both ends of a doubleheader against Albertus Magnus College with a walk-off, 9-8 victory in game one and a 10-3 triumph in the nightcap on Sunday afternoon at Baseball Heaven Sports Complex.

The Bears (3-0) complete the three-game sweep of the Falcons (0-3) and gets off to their best start in school history. 

In the opener, the Bears led from the second inning and carried a 7-5 lead into the final frame and a Bears miscue that would have ended the game allowed the tying and go-ahead runs to score. But the Bears recovered in the bottom half, loading the bases and Brian Luebcke (Astoria, NY/Monsignor McClancy) drawing a walk for the second-straight walk-off victory.

St. Joseph's allowed three runs in the first inning of the nightcap, but scored runs in five of the six innings to pull away from the Falcons. The game was called early after the sixth due to darkness.

Senior Danny Zaretsky (Brooklyn, NY/Lincoln) finished the twinbill batting 5-for-6 with two RBI and a run scored.  In the opener Zaretsky went 3-for-3, all three hits doubles. Sophomore Thomas McKenna (Bellerose, NY/St. Francis Prep) also knocked five hits on the afternoon, scoring three times and driving in a run. Junior Mike Cundari (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) was the top run producer, driving in four runs all in game two.

Sophomore Chris Cutrone (Levittown, NY/Island Trees HS) surrendered three runs (two earned) in the first inning of the nightcap, but settled in and tossed five scoreless innings for the complete-game win. Cutrone allowed six hits, striking out two and walking three. Sophomore Matt Brigando (Brooklyn, NY/St. Edmund Prep) picked up the win in the opener after coming in relief to pitch the seventh. Brigando inherited the bases loaded and nearly worked out of the jam for a save, but a defensive error allowed him the victory.

Turning Point - Game One

St. Joseph's sent nine Bears to the plate in a five-run fifth inning that opened a 7-3 advantage. Three of the runs scored with two outs, two coming on a double to the left field wall from Zaretsky.

After allowing three runs in the seventh to relinquish the lead, the Bears quickly got the run back with Cundari leading off the bottom half reaching on an error, stealing second and scoring on a Cutrone double. Nicholas Calabrese (Brooklyn, NY/St. Edmund Prep) laid down a perfect bunt to move him to third, representing the winning run, and the Falcons issued three straight free passes for the win.

Turning Point - Game Two

The Falcons led off the game with two straight singles, both scoring on a Jack Pritchard double who later scored on a Bears throwing error. But the Bears clipped the deficit to one in the bottom half also taking advantage of a Falcon miscue.

St. Joseph's plated two more in the third to take the lead for good, Joe Mendez (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) driving in a run and Cundari knocking in the game-winner with a sacrifice fly, finishing the game with four RBI.

The Bears continued to extend their lead scoring in each of the final four innings.

Inside the Box Scores

• St. Joseph's batted 13-for-24 (.541) with two outs, driving in 10 of their 19 runs
• In the opener, Rosario DiLorenzo tossed five innings allowing five runs (four earned), striking out five and was destined for a win in his collegiate debut before the Falcons took the lead in the seventh.
• Joe Mendez went 4-for-8 with two RBI and two runs scored, finishing the opening weekend 7-for-12 (.583) and the top hitter.
• Chris Cutrone also picked up four hits at the plate, including a double and triple, scoring three times and driving in two. Cutrone also finished all three games with multiple hits, the only Bear to do so.
• Thomas McKenna fell a home run short of the cycle in game one and along with Cutrone have hit successfully in all three games.
• Danny Zaretsky, Kevin Diaz, Vinny Rossi and Domenick Camerada are working on two game hitting streaks.

Next up for the Bears

St. Joseph's returns to action next weekend taking on Centenary College for a doubleheader at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, N.J. starting at noon. The twinbill opens a 16-game road stand lasting through the month of March.