Late Rally Falls Short as Baseball Drops to Brandeis in Season Opener, 7-4

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The St. Joseph's (Brooklyn) baseball team made a valiant effort to rally in the latter innings, but the deficit was too big as they dropped their 2015 season opener at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational against Brandeis, 7-4, Thursday afternoon at Chain of Lakes Park Stadium.

In his first collegiate game, freshman outfielder Bobby Perretti (Howard Beach, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) drove in two runs for the Bears (0-1) in a losing effort. Both Nicholas LoPrinzi (Howard Beach, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) and Domenick Camerada (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) each knocked in a run, while Michael Camerada (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) smacked two hits.

Starting pitcher Sean O'Neill fanned five batters and allowed just two runs over eight innings to notch the win for the Judges (1-1). Ryan Pocock plated two runs on two-for-three hitting and walked once. Nick Falkson connected on a game-high three hits and drove in a run, while Zach Bardwell and Liam O'Connor each drove in a run in the victory.

Brandeis grabbed the lead with three runs, all with two outs, in the second inning off starting pitcher Rosario DiLorenzo (Howard Beach, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy).  Bardwell laced a run-scoring single to break the scoreless tie, then stole second and would come home two at-bats later on the first of three errors in the game for St. Joseph's. A Falkson RBI single would close out the scoring in the inning.

In the third, Brandeis would push across another run on Pocock's RBI single to extend their advantage to 4-0. St. Joseph's would plate their first run of the season in the top of the fourth inning as LoPrinzi scored on a double play. O'Connor's RBI single in the sixth, followed by Pocock's RBI double and run home on a double in the seventh would lengthen their lead to 7-1.

The Bears got a run back in the eighth with two outs after Thomas McKenna (Bellerose, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) walked then swiped second base. LoPrinzi would drive him home an RBI double to the gap in left-center. They were unable to capitalize any further in the frame with two runners left in scoring position, finishing with nine total runners stranded.

In the ninth, they got back-to-back singles from pinch-hitter Brandon Salem (Franklin Square, N.Y./Valley Stream North) and Francis Rapp (Baldwin, N.Y./Oceanside). Following two straight strikeouts, Perretti brought both runners home on a triple to slice the deficit to three. With the tying run on deck, McKenna popped up to first to end the rally and the game.

St. Joseph's will look to rebound quickly and take two from the Judges when both teams face each other again in a doubleheader Friday afternoon at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale, Fla. First pitch of the twin bill is set for 12:00 p.m.