Brigando Goes the Distance as Baseball Defeats Merchant Marine, 9-1

KING'S POINT, N.Y. -- The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team got a outstanding performance on the mound from Mitch Brigando (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) as they defeated the Merchant Marine Academy, 9-1, Thursday afternoon at Lower Roosevelt Field. 

This is the first time the Bears (14-15) have beaten the Mariners in school history, dropping the previous six meetings dating back to 2009.

The sophomore starter pitched a complete game, his third on the season, allowing just one run on six hits to improve his team-best record to 6-1 on the season. 

With three RBI and two hits on the afternoon, Chris Cutrone (Levittown, N.Y./Island Trees) became just the fifth Bear in school history with 150 career hits. Thomas McKenna (Bellerose, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) also connected on a double in the top of the fifth to extend his team-high hitting streak to a season-best 13 games. 

Domenick Camerada (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) had a game-high three hits and three runs batted in, while brother Michael Camerada (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) added two RBI. Brian Luebcke (Astoria, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) compiled two runs scored, and Vinny Rossi (Bayside, N.Y./Holy Cross) contributed a run batted in. 

Bryson Campbell laced three hits and scored the only run for the Mariners (12-16) in a losing effort. Steve Lucy grabbed the lone run batted in on a base hit in the bottom of the ninth.

St. Joseph's got on the board first in the top of the second inning when D. Camerada drove in Luebcke on a run-scoring single to go up 1-0. They would tally three runs in the top of the fourth after D. Camerada ripped a two-run double and Rossi bringing home a run on a sacrifice bunt.

Cutrone doubled to left-center in the fifth, scoring McKenna to add to their advantage. They would add to their lead in the eighth when M. Camerada drove in two on a base hit to left, followed by Cutrone's two-run triple.

Meanwhile, Brigando was rolling along on the bump, tossing eight scoreless frames until allowing a run on Lucy's RBI single in the bottom of the ninth, but a defensive assist closed out the game on the very same play.

Up next for the Bears is a doubleheader showdown against sibling school St. Joseph's (L.I.) at the SJC Outdoor Complex in Patchogue. First pitch of game one starts at 12:00 p.m. Live stats will be available at SJCBears.com.