Baseball Finishes Fourth at USCAA Small College World Series, Dropping a Decision to No. 5 Apprentice

HAMPTON, Va. – The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team put the tying run in scoring position in the deciding inning, but could not bring the runner home as they dropped a 5-4 decision to No. 5-seed and host Apprentice in a United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) elimination game Friday afternoon at War Memorial Stadium.

The No. 9 Bears (24-18) finished the tournament in fourth place, their best finish in program history in their third straight appearance in the USCAA Small College World Series.

Sophomore Nicholas LoPrinzi (Howard Beach, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) finished 3-for-3 with two runs batted in, both on a two-run single. Chris Cutrone (Levittown, N.Y./Island Trees) capped off his senior season with two hits along with a run and two runs batted in.

Brothers Michael Camerada (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) and Domenick Camerada (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) connected on two hits apiece, while Bobby Perretti (Howard Beach, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) added a hit and a run of his own in a losing effort. Senior Thomas McKenna (Bellerose, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) finished 0-for-3 on the day, ending his program-record 25-game hitting streak.

Lee Rossi finished 3-for-3 with an RBI and scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch in the fifth for the Builders (27-14). Brock Harris had a run scored along with a run batted in and three hits, including a run-scoring triple.

James Anthony came in relief and tossed a scoreless fifth to notch the win, and Sam Massie closed out the game with a six-out save.

Apprentice grabbed an early lead in the bottom of the second with two runs on a Richardson sacrifice fly and a Harris RBI triple to put the Builders up 2-0. The Bears struck back in the top of the third with a four-run inning, led by two-run singles by both Cutrone and LoPrinzi to give the Bears a two-run advantage. 

In the bottom of the third, Ryan Hendrickson led off the frame with a single. Lee Rossi then followed with a run-scoring double down the left-field line to cut the deficit to 4-3. The Builders would threaten to score in the bottom of the fourth with two runners in scoring position and nobody out, but McKenna would make the catch in left then cut down Carter at home plate for the double play. Starting pitcher Connor Pasetti (Oceanside, N.Y./Oceanside) would induce a fly out to escape the jam.

The bottom of the fifth saw Apprentice once again put runners at second and third with nobody out. Christian Burton followed with a sacrifice fly to center to knot the game at 4-4. Pasetti would uncork a wild pitch, which allowed Rossi to score and give the Builders a one-run lead.

St. Joseph's would put the tying run in scoring position in both the sixth and seventh innings, but could not break through on Massie as the Builders emerged victorious.

The game closed the careers for all the Bears' seniors, including McKenna and Cutrone. Along with holding the school record for longest hit streak, McKenna ended his incredible four-year career with St. Joseph's as the school's leader in batting average (.377), runs scored (161), hits (210) and stolen bases (64). Cutrone finishes with a .336 average (fifth) and 103 RBI (fourth) at the plate and a school-best 16 wins, 18 complete games and 155 strikeouts on the mound.