Baseball Swept by Alma to Close Florida Trip

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team wrapped their Florida trip to the RussMatt Classic suffering a doubleheader sweep to Alma College, 3-0 and 12-4, on Sunday afternoon at Lake Myrtle Park.

Freshman Nicholas LoPrinzi (Howard Beach, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) led the Bears (1-4) at the dish batting 4-for-5 over the twinbill with a walk. Thomas McKenna (Bellerose, N.Y./St. Francis Prep), Joseph Mendez (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) and Chris Cutrone (Levittown, N.Y./Island Trees) each contributed two hits over the afternoon.

In the speedy opener that lasted less than an hour and a half, senior Donny Pagano (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's) went the distance tossing six strong innings, but the Scots plated runs in the first, third and sixth innings for the win. Pagano took the loss, allowing eight hits, striking out three and walking none.

St. Joseph's threatened in the first after Cutrone walked and McKenna doubled to put runners at second and third, but Alma starter Kevin Thompson kept the Bears off balance the entire game in the complete game shutout. Thompson limited St. Joseph's to just four hits and forced double plays in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, preventing the Bears from reaching second after McKenna's double.

Game two played at a contrast to the first with both teams combining for 20 hits and the game lasting over two and a half hours. Alma drew first blood with a solo run in the first, which the Bears matched in the home half of the frame on a Mike Cundari (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's) RBI single.

Alma posted four runs in the second and five runs to the fifth to break the game open. Despite knocking 10 hits in the game, the Bears couldn't string them together to advance runners into scoring position. St. Joseph's tacked on a run in the fifth on a Mendez RBI single to left and Vinny Rossi (Bayside, N.Y./Holy Cross) delivered two in the seventh with a bases-loaded single.

Starter Sean O'Melia (Woodside, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) took the loss on the mound for the Bears, who used five pitchers in defeat. Brian Luebcke (Astoria, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) had a strong showing in relief in his first collegiate appearance on the hill, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings striking out two.

TURNING POINT – GAME ONE

A solo run in the first would be all the Scots would need. David Carles singled to left with one out and advanced to third when Alex Kravat followed with a double to right. Yoan Delrosa then grounded to short delivering Carles for the eventual game winner.

TURNING POINT – GAME TWO

The Bears appeared to pick up some momentum after tying the game at 1-1 in the home half of the first, but the Scots responded with four in the second and never looked back. O'Melia issued a leadoff walk and couldn't work his way out of the inning, with Carles and Juan Dominguez each knocking two-run singles.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Alma turned five double plays over the twinbill.
• The Bears only managed one extra base hit on the afternoon – McKenna's double in the first inning of the opener.
• LoPrinzi, Mendez and Cutrone each hit successfully in both games.
• Other hit contributors: Francis Rapp and Michael Camerada
• Anthony Inserillo also worked 1.1 innings of scoreless ball, entering in the fifth inning of game two.

THE BEAR FACTS

• Cundari finished as the leading hitter for the weekend, batting 8-for-17 (.471) with five RBI and two runs scored. He was working on a three-game hitting streak that was snapped in the opener.
• LoPrinzi had a strong rookie debut with six hits over the weekend batting .400 (6-for-15).
• McKenna belted out seven hits and was the top run producer with six runs over the five games.

NEXT UP FOR THE BEARS – Rivier

St. Joseph's returns to New York and will host Rivier College at James Madison High School on Saturday, March 1st in a doubleheader starting at noon.