Offense Explodes for 16 Runs in Baseball's Triumph Over Cairn

LANGHORNE, Pa. – In a slugfest that saw a combined 28 runs scored and 30 hits, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team was able to move a season-high seven games over .500 with a high-scoring 16-12 victory over Cairn University on Monday afternoon.

St. Joseph's (15-8) wins their season-high-tying fourth straight, while Cairn (4-25) has dropped 11 of their last 12 games.

The offenses had their way with the opposing pitchers throughout the nine-inning affair with their only being one scoreless frame on the day.

The Bears started the contest by loading up the bases in the first, but could not get a run to come around and score which turned out to be their last scoreless inning until the eighth.

The hosts jumped on St. Joseph's starter Donny Pagano (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's) in their half of the first, plating five runs to take a 5-0 lead, aided by two Bear errors and five hits.

A pair of three run innings in the second and third helped St. Joseph's tie the game up at 6-6 after three innings as seniors Mike Cundari (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's) and Joe Mendez (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) each came through with a two-RBI base knock in the second. Freshman Mitch Brigando (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) did some damage in the third with an RBI double that scored junior Thomas McKenna (Bellerose, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) and freshman Michael Camerada (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell).

Pagano would leave the contest after the fourth inning with the score tied at 8-8 after surrendering eight runs (five earned) on eight hits. The senior was replaced by sophomore Michael Faulkner (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) on the mound in the fifth and preceded to pitch a 1-2-3 inning after the Bears took the lead for good, 10-8, on a Chris Cutrone (Levittown, N.Y./Island Trees HS) triple and Domenick Camerada (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) RBI single

St. Joseph's, aided by a school-record 14 stolen bases and sloppy defensive play by the Highlanders, tacked on a pair of runs in the sixth and put a three spot on the board in the seventh to take a 15-11 lead after seven and hung on for the victory.

Faulkner pitched well for the Bears out of the bullpen, pitching four effective innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits with three punchouts to pick up his first collegiate win.

Eight different Bears recorded a hit led by Cundari who went an impressive 5-for-7 with a double and a team-high-tying three RBI. Domenick Camerada had a strong afternoon going 3-for-5 with a three-bagger, two runs and two RBI. His brother Michael also came through with a 2-for-4 day at the plate, scoring a pair of run, driving in a pair and stole two bases. Brigando, making his first start of the season as the designated hitter, went 1-for-3 with a double, two runs and three RBI.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Other Contributors: McKenna (2-for-5, 3 R, RBI, 3 SB) Cutrone (2-for-5, 2 R, RBI) Thomas Decapua (1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, K) 
• Both teams had no trouble connecting against the opposing pitchers as the Bears finished with 17 hits and Cairn struck with 13 hits.
• The pitchers were not helped out by their defenses as the Bears committed five errors and the Highlanders had four miscues.
• Each team had chances to tack on more as St. Joseph's left 16 men on base, while the hosts left 11 stranded.
• Walks were an issue for the hosts as they gave up 13 free passes compared to eight for the Bears.
• St. Joseph's had a school-record 14 stolen bases with only one caught stealing.

THE BEAR FACTS

• The 14 stolen bases surpasses the previous high of nine set against John Jay in 2008 and 2009.
• Cundari ties the single-game record for most hits in a game set four times previously, last by McKenna on April 10, 2012 at Drew.
• The 17 hits for the Bears are a season-high.
• St. Joseph's improves to 7-1 in true road games this season.

NEXT UP FOR THE BEARS – PURCHASE

St. Joseph's comes back to New York and plays at Purchase College tomorrow at 4 p.m. in a single game.