Luebcke Goes Yard Twice and Notches Second Win of Season as Baseball Splits With SUNY Poly

BELLEROSE, N.Y. — For the second straight week the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team walked off with a game one victory as Nicholas LoPrinzi's (Howard Beach, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) sacrifice fly in the seventh lifted the Bears to a 5-4 victory over SUNY Polytechnic Institute in a game they never led until the finish, but the Wildcats used a big second inning in game two and carried it into a 12-6 win for a split.

The Basics

• Final Score (Game 1): St. Joseph's 5, SUNY Poly 4
• Final Score (Game 2): SUNY Poly 12, St. Joseph's 6
• Records: St. Joseph's (6-7), SUNY Poly (6-9)
• Date: March 25, 2016
• Location: Bellerose, N.J.
• Field: Padavan-Preller Field
• SJC Starters (Game 1): Pasetti (2B), DeFillippo (LF), Luebcke (P), Condon (C), LoPrinzi (RF), Rapp (SS), Pallatto (1B), Schwartz (3B), M. Camerada (CF)
• SJC Starters (Game 2): Pasetti (2B), A. Camerada (RF), Luebcke (3B), Condon (1B), LoPrinzi (DH), Rapp (SS), DeFillippo (LF), Salem (C), M. Camerada (CF) Brigando (P)

How it Happened - Game 1

• The visitors didn't waste any time getting on the board, posting three runs in the top of the first stringing together three straight hits capped by Tyler Vyce's three-run blast that gave the Wildcats an early 3-0 advantage.
• St. Joseph's cut into the deficit on an Adam Schwartz two-out triple in the second, scoring Nicholas LoPrinzi from first after leading off the frame with a single.
• The Bears chipped away again in the fourth with another timely two-out hit pulling within one. After Francis Rapp opened the frame with a single and advanced to second on a productive out, Michael Camerada brought him home with a single to left.
• SUNY Poly got the run back in the next half inning on a squeeze play by Connor Passalacqua, but Brian Luebcke knotted the game at 4-all in the home half of the fifth with one swing of the bat with a one-out, two-run blast that also scored Anthony DeFillippo.
• After helping his own cause on the mound, Luebcke held the Wildcats to just one more baserunner over the final two innings, setting up the dramatic finish in the seventh.
• With Andrew Scharra taking the hill for SUNY Poly, the top of the Bears lineup jumped on the new arm quickly. Pasetti set the table with a single followed by an infield single by DeFillippo legging out the hit on the sacrifice attempt. Both later moved up to second and third on a wild pitch and the Wildcats was intentionally walked Condon to load the bases with one out. LoPrinzi then calmly lifted a deep fly to right field that easily scored Pasetti for the win without a play at the plate.

How it Happened - Game 2

• After a scoreless first, SUNY Poly used a cooked frame in the second sending 12 batters to the dish and pushing across eight runs, all coming with two outs. Passalacqua started the scoring with a bases-loaded clearing double and was followed by Vyce's second blast of the game to move up 5-0 and three more unearned runs came across after to Bears miscues.
• Luebcke responded for St. Joseph's with his second homer of the day and third of the season, launching a three-run shot with two-outs that cut the deficit to 8-3.
• But SUNY Poly would tack on four in the fourth to build a commanding 12-3 lead, but Sean O'Melia and Jonathan Schneider took the hill and limited any further damage. O'Melia worked a perfect fifth and sixth innings, striking out one and Schneider tossed a scoreless seventh, facing just four batters.
• The Bears made some noise in the seventh loading the bases taking advantage of a Wildcat error and four straight walks. St. Joseph's managed to push across three runs to close the final deficit, but the hole was too large to dig out of.

For the Bears

• Brian Luebcke homered in both ends of the twinbill and drove in six of the 11 Bears runs on the day, finishing 3-for-8 and extending his reached base safely streak to 13 games. Improving to 2-0 on the mound in game one, Luebcke struck out five and walked none, allowing four runs on eight hits for his second complete game of the season.
• Anthony Defillippo (2-for-6, 2 R), Nicholas LoPrinzi (2-for-6, R, RBI, 2B), and John Condon (2-for-7) each knocked a pair of hits on the day.
• Sean O'Melia, Anthony Amatuzzi and Johnathan Schneider all tossed scoreless innings in relief in game two. Mitch Brigando (2-1) suffered his first loss of the season allowing eight runs (five earned) and striking out three in two innings of work.

For the Wildcats

• Tyler Vyce lead all hitters on the day with eight RBI, slugging two home runs and a double, finishing 3-for-6 with two runs scored.
• Connor Passalacqua drove in four runs and hit 3-for-6, all doubles, and scored three times.
• Jared Muraca (2-1) notched the victory in game two, going the distance, scattering five hits and allowing six runs (five earned) and striking out three.

Inside the Box Score

• The visitors out-slugged the Bears on the day, knocking 20 hits to St. Joseph's 14.
• Ten of the Wildcats runs in game two came with two outs. After batting 0-7 in game one with two outs, SUNY Poly finished 5-for-13 in game two.

The Bear Facts

• Luebcke now needs just four hits from reaching the coveted 100-hit club.
• The all-time series remains tied at 4-4 with the split.
• St. Joseph's falls to 1-2 this season facing a lefty starter.
• The walk-off win is the second this season and 11th all-time.

Next Up for St. Joseph's

The Bears wrap up a four-game home stand welcoming University of Maine at Presque Isle to Padavan-Preller Field for a doubleheader starting at noon. Live stats will be available at SJCBears.com