Mendez Knocks 100th Hit, Pagano Fires Two-Hitter as Baseball Earns Split With CSI

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Junior Joe Mendez (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) joined the exclusive 100-hit club and junior Donny Pagano (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) tossed a two-hit, complete game shutout as St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) earned a doubleheader split with the College of Staten Island, falling 4-2 before taking a convincing 11-0 victory on Saturday afternoon at the CSI Baseball Complex.

The Bears (12-2) have their second streak of the season halted at three games and their win in the nightcap snapped a streak of six straight losses to the Dolphins (12-8).

In the opener, after falling behind with a solo run in the first, the Bears took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth on a Brian Luebcke (Astoria, NY/Monsignor McClancy) two-out single, before the Dolphins tied the game in the bottom half and went ahead for good with two runs in the sixth.

The Bears took control from the outset in the opener, with Thomas McKenna (Bellerose, NY/St. Francis Prep) leading the game off with a triple, and scoring on a Mendez single. St. Joseph's two runs in the first would be all the run support Pagano would need, pitching a gem in his home borough, his two-hitter matching the record for fewest hits in a seven-inning complete game.

Mendez finished with day batting 3-for-7 with a RBI, two runs scored and a double. Chris Cutrone (Levittown, NY/Island Trees HS) also batted 3-for-7, producing a team-high four RBI with a run, double and stolen base. McKenna finished 3-for-6, collecting four runs, a triple and a stolen base. 

Turning Point – Game 1

With the game tied 1-1 in the fifth, the Bears assembled a two-out rally with Domenick Camerada (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell), Chris Pacifico (Brooklyn, NY/St. Edmund Prep) and Luebcke knocking three straight singles, Luebcke's scoring Camerada for the Bears only lead of the game.

Staten Island made the most of a leadoff walk in the bottom half, James Lewis stealing second, sacrifice bunted to third and scoring on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 2-2.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Chris Ramanauskas led off the frame with a line drive that went for a triple after Kevin Diaz (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) and Mendez collided in the outfield trying to reel it in. Ramanauskas would score the game winner two batters later on a Robert Bernardo single.

Turning Point – Game 2

The Bears plated two runs in the first inning no three hits started off by a McKenna triple followed by Mendez and Cutrone RBI singles.

Mendez and Cutrone would team up again in the third each belting doubles to tack on another run.

St. Joseph's broke the game open in fourth and took a 6-0 lead as the Dolphins kicked the ball around committing four errors in the frame, allowing three runs to score with the Bears threatening for more leaving the bases loaded.

Inside the Box Scores

• Cutrone (3-2) took the loss on the mound in game one, going the distance, allowing five hits and four runs.
• Vincent Rossi (Bayside, NY/Holy Cross) batted 2-for-3 with three RBI and two walks in game two.
• The Dolphins were plagued by five errors in game two allowing four runs to score unearned. The Bears played near flawless defense over the twinbill committing only one error on the afternoon. 

News and Notes

• Joseph Mendez is the second fastest Bear to reach the century hit mark, doing so in 81 games. Diaz holds the record reaching the milestone in 70 games. Mendez is five hits shy of surpassing Jon Mendez for third place in the all-time hit list.
• Pagano's seven-inning, complete game, two-hitter was the fourth in Bears history, last achieved by Paul Piccirillo (Brooklyn, NY/Xaverian) last April vs. Yeshiva. It is one day removed from Rosario DiLorenzo (Howard Beach, NY/Archbishop Molloy) setting the fewest hits record with one hit in a seven-inning outing yesterday vs. CCNY.
• Diaz has reached base safely in 10 straight games, the longest active streak.
• The Bears wrapped up their five-game stretch in four days with a 4-1 record.
• St. Joseph's has scored 10-or-more runs in seven games this season (four in seven-inning affairs).
• St. Joseph's improved to 3-9 in the all-time series and the first win since 2010. The two teams have met for a doubleheader in each year since Bears began varsity play in 2008. St. Joseph's owns the only two shutouts in the series (6-0 in 2009).

Next Up for the Bears

St. Joseph's returns to the diamond for a road game at Lehman on Monday, April 1 starting at 6 p.m. When the teams met two weeks ago at South Field, the Bears took an 11-7 victory in snowy conditions that forced the postponement of game two. Live stats will be available for the game on SJCBears.com