Acosta’s Four-Hit Day Not Enough for Baseball Against Purchase

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team hosted Purchase State College for their second Skyline doubleheader in as many days on Sunday afternoon. SJC was held to two runs apiece in each game, while the Panthers' offense was consistent all day as the visitors swept both contests.

Freshman Justus Acosta (Little Neck, N.Y/Holy Cross) was a steady presence in the Bears' lineup, collecting two hits in each game at the second spot in the order.

The Basics

• Final Score (Game 1): Purchase 6, St. Joseph's 2
• Final Score (Game 2): Purchase 7, St. Joseph's 2
• Records: Purchase (14-11, 6-4 Skyline), St. Joseph's (2-21, 1-7 Skyline)
• Location: Brooklyn, N.Y. — Calvert Vaux Park

How It Happened (Game 1)

• Neither team could gain an edge throughout the first three innings, as Purchase opened the scoring in the top of the fourth on a Jackson Hill RBI double and held their 1-0 through five full innings.
• Purchase strung together three-straight singles in the top of the sixth which led to a two-run double from Dylan Flynn to cap off a four-run inning. Flynn ignited his team's scoring in the top of the ninth with a leadoff knock, and a two-out base-hit drove him around for the Panthers' sixth run.
• The Bears threatened in the bottom half, as Acosta started things off with a single and a stolen base. Sophomore Michael Gonzalez (Brooklyn, N.Y./Midwood) then put St. Joseph's in the run column with an RBI double to right field. Right-fielder Kevin Reyes (Bronx, N.Y./AECI) made it two-straight doubles to the same spot for the Bears' second run of the game, but the scoring stopped there and the visitors claimed game one.

How It Happened (Game 2)

• Purchase erupted for a two-out rally in the top of the first as Patrick Wallace stepped up with two runners on and smacked a two-run double to take the lead. The next batter, Matthew Villalobos, doubled as well giving the Panthers an early 3-0 advantage.
• The Bears answered as Gonzalez delivered an RBI groundout with runners on second and third and one out. Reyes came through as well, singling to the left side to drive in Acosta and cut the deficit to one (3-2) after one.
• A Purchase sac-fly in the second extended the lead to 4-2, and the Bears threatened with bases loaded in the third, but a double-play to short put an end to the rally. A pair of doubles gave the Panthers two more runs in the top of the fourth, and they would go on to hold SJC scoreless the rest of the way en route to a 7-2 triumph.

For the Bears

• Acosta went 4-for-7 with two runs scored and a stolen base on the day. Reyes followed suite with four hits (4-for-7) while driving in a run in each outing.
• Gonzalez had two RBI as well knocking three hits (3-for-7) including a double. Anthony Palermo (Patchogue, N.Y./Sachem North) collected a hit in each game.
• Jonathan Schneider (Staten Island, N.Y./Susan Wagner) tossed three innings of relief in game one giving up just one run (two strikeouts.) J.J. McLaughlin (Elmont, N.Y./Sewanhaka) pitched five frames out of the bullpen in the second contest giving up three runs on five hits while striking out four, and freshman Robert Berrios (Maspeth, N.Y./Msngr. McClancy) threw a shutout seventh inning in game two with a strikeout.

Next Up for the Bears

• A Skyline doubleheader next Saturday (Apr. 14) at Maritime beginning at 11 a.m. with live stats at SJCBears.com.