Baseball Falls in Extras in Season Opener at Wesley

DOVER, Del. — Freshman Kevin Linitz (Flushing, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) batted 3-for-6 in his collegiate debut, but in a wild, back-and-forth battle, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team dropped their season opener, 7-6, in 10 innings to Wesley College on Saturday afternoon. The Wolverines scored two runs in the eighth and one in the ninth to erase a Bears lead before scoring the go-ahead run in extras with two outs.

Seniors Connor Pasetti (Oceanside, N.Y./Oceanside) and Francis Rapp (Baldwin, N.Y./Oceanside) both knocked a pair of hits, Pasetti scoring twice and Rapp driving in two runs. John Condon (Oceanside, N.Y./Oceanside) also drove in a pair of runs.

Game Info

• Final Score: Wesley def. St. Joseph's, 7-6 (10 inn)
• Location: Dover, Del.
• Field: Bob Reed Field
• Records: Wesley (5-1), St. Joseph's (0-1)
• SJC Starters: Pasetti (RF) Linitz (CF) LoPrinzi (C) Condon (DH) Rapp (SS) Pallatto (1B) Schwartz (3B) Arroyo (2B) Camerada (LF) Brigando (P)

How It Happened

• The Wolverines struck first with a solo run in the bottom of the first.
• The Bears got on board the second time through the lineup, putting together a two-out rally with a Linitz single, followed by a LoPrinzi walk, and both scoring on a John Condon single.
• But Wesley retook the lead, countering with two runs in the home half of the third, and the Bears jumped back on top with a pair in the top of the fourth on a Linitz two-out double that scored Adam Schwartz and Connor Pasetti.
• The Bears tacked on another run in the seventh to move ahead 5-3 after Linitz doubled again to lead off the frame and scored on a Francis Rapp sacrifice fly.
• The Wolverines came back to tie the game in the eighth with a pair of runs on just one hit with two walks—Cody Dmiterchick's double starting the scoring.
• St. Joseph's took the lead for the third time in the top of the ninth, with Rapp's two-out single through the right scoring Pasetti who led off with a single. But the Bears couldn't close out the game in the bottom half as Trey Mears and Chris Seibert knocked back-to-back hits with two outs to force extra innings.
• The Bears loaded the bases in the top of the 10th, but came away empty handed and in the bottom half the Wolverines did all their damage with two outs, drawing a pair of walks and pushing the go-ahead run on a Will Barton single.

For the Bears

• Kevin Linitz finished 3-for-6 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs in his collegiate debut.
• Connor Pasetti (2-5, 2 R), Francis Rapp (2-2, 2 RBI, 2B, SF) both had two hits each.
• John Condon (1-5) also knocked in two RBI.
• Mitch Brigando went six innings in a no-decision, working six innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits, striking out two. Kevin White worked a near perfect scorless inning in the 7th.
• Vincent Juliano (0.2 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 K) took the loss in relief.

Inside the Box Score

• SJC was 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position stranding 13 runners on base, while Wesley was 5-for-11, stranding 10.

Next Up for St. Joseph's

The Bears and Wolverines will meet again tomorrow for a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. concluding a three-game series.