Baseball Gets Timely Hitting and Pitching in Wild Victory over Maritime

THROGGS NECK, N.Y. – The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team managed to withstand a late flurry in the sixth inning to secure a wild 9-6 win and a season series victory over Maritime College at Reinhart Baseball Field on Wednesday night.

On the mound, Connor Pasetti (Oceanside, N.Y./Oceanside) improved to 2-2 on the season after allowing two earned runs while striking out four batters in 5.1 innings. Senior Anthony Inserillo (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) pitched 3.1 scoreless innings and fanned three to pick up the save with the tying run at the plate.

Third baseman Brian Luebcke (Astoria, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) drove in two runs, both on a two-run home run in the eighth inning, and added a run scored in the win for the Bears (12-14). Thomas McKenna (Bellerose/St. Francis Prep) added two RBI and extended his hitting streak to 10 games, while sophomore Francis Rapp (Baldwin, N.Y./Oceanside) tallied three runs scored.

Nicholas LoPrinzi (Howard Beach, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) and freshman Thomas Pallatto (Oceanside, N.Y./Oceanside) each drove in a run. This was Pallatto's first collegiate RBI on a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded.

Kevin Monahan had two runs batted in for the Privateers (8-13), while Chris Deddo added two runs scored and an RBI in a losing effort. Matthew Sollin and Chris Steward also contributed with a run batted in each.

Both teams grabbed a run in the first inning to remain even. St. Joseph's would jump ahead with a McKenna RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second, but Monahan would connect on his second RBI single of the game in the top of the third to knot up the game again. In the bottom of the fourth, the Bears would tally two runs, both with two outs, on McKenna's RBI single and then Perretti scoring on a fielding error at short to go up 4-2.

The fifth inning saw the Bears bring eight batters to the plate, scoring three runs in the frame with no hits. Pallotto drove in a run on a hit-by-pitch, while a wild play on a fielder's choice allow Rapp to score on a throwing error. Pallotto would then cross the plate on a wild pitch and had a 7-2 advantage.

Maritime would once again respond the next half-inning, scoring four runs on the inning. A Stewart RBI double and a run scoring on an error, followed by Deddo RBI single and a bases-loaded walk to Matthew Sollin sliced the deficit to 7-6, but Inserillo came in with the bases loaded and two outs to get Monahan to line out and end the threat.

Both pitchers settled down in the next two innings, not allowing a run going into the bottom of the eighth. That is where Luebcke gave the Bears some much needed insurance runs with a two-run homer down the left-field line to push the lead back up to three runs.

The ninth saw the Privateers put the tying run at the plate with two outs, but Inserillo induced a pop up to second for the final out and the win.

Up next for St. Joseph's is a doubleheader against Valley Forge on Saturday afternoon. St. Joseph's will host Valley Forge for a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at the SJC Outdoor Complex in Patchogue as they celebrate Senior Day for McKenna, Cutrone, Domenick Camerada, Vinny Rossi, Thomas Decapua, and Nicholas Calamia. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. Live stats will be available at SJCBears.com