Baseball Drops Hard-Fought Pair at Mount Saint Mary

NEWBURGH, N.Y. — Looking to follow up the hitting clinic they put on in their sweep of Yeshiva yesterday, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team traveled upstate to take on first-place Mount Saint Mary in two contests on Saturday afternoon. The Bears led by four runs halfway through the sixth, but they couldn't contain the Knights' offense and fell by two. Sophomore Peter Terranova (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) and MSMC's Ryan Hayes battled in a true pitcher's duel in game two, however, the hosts came out on top 1-0.

The Basics

• Final Score (Game 1): Mount Saint Mary 8, St. Joseph's 6
• Final Score (Game 2): Mount Saint Mary 1, St. Joseph's 0
• Records: Mount Saint Mary (19-8, 11-3 Skyline), St. Joseph's (5-26, 3-11 Skyline)
• Location: Newburgh, N.Y. — MSMC Baseball Complex

How It Happened (Game 1)

• Each team advanced just one runner into scoring position over the first two innings until SJC found its stride in the top of the third. Freshman Kyle McLaughlin (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Comsewogue) got things started with a one-out double, and number two hitter Adam Schwartz (Staten Island, N.Y./Susan Wagner) went on to drive him in with a single up the middle. A dropped fly by the Knights then extended the Bears' lead to 3-0 after three.
• MSMC answered quickly though, plating two in their half of the fourth highlighted by an RBI double from third baseman Nick Rizzo to bring them within one (3-2). Things really started to get back-and-forth in the fifth as St. Joseph's extended their lead with three more runs, beginning with another Schwartz RBI to bring McLaughlin around and they went on to lead 6-2 entering the bottom of the sixth.
• An RBI triple and Bear error tallied two scores for the hosts in the bottom of the sixth to cut their deficit to two (6-4). They got over the hump in their next at-bats, putting up four in the seventh on the strength of a bases-loaded walk and bases-loaded single. SJC failed to complete the comeback as they had runners on first and second in both the eighth and ninth innings and instead fell 8-6.

How It Happened (Game 2)

• Both sides struggled to score early, but the Bears threatened with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the third. However, a perfect relay from center field cut down the tagging runner at the plate to keep the game scoreless. The Knights got on the board in the next frame, as Blake Keenan was the hero of the game with his RBI double to drive in John Santana and put his team up 1-0 after four.
• Sophomore Joseph Langan (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the seventh and J.J. McLaughlin (Elmont, N.Y./Sewanhaka) stole second after entering as a pinch-runner. With the tying run at second William DeLuca (Valley Stream, N.Y./V.S. Central) singled to center, but yet another quality throw from the outfield gunned out McLaughlin at the plate to give MSMC the sweep.

For the Bears

• Schwartz (2-for-5, R, SB, 2 RBI), Justus Acosta (Little Neck, N.Y./Holy Cross) (2-for-5, R, SB), Anthony Palermo (Patchogue, N.Y./Sachem North) (3-for-5, 2 R, RBI), and K. McLaughlin (2-for-4, 2 R, 2 2B) all had multi-hit games in game one.
• Daniel Egan (Valley Stream, N.Y./V.S. Central) struck out three over six innings while allowing 10 hits, five earned runs, and three walks in the first contest and Andrew Watters (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) gave up just one run in two innings out of the pen in the same game.
• Terranova gave up just one run, one hit, and one walk over six innings pitched in the second game, and Kevin Reyes (Bronx, N.Y./AECI) notched a 1-for-3 line in the latter outing.

Next Up for the Bears

• A Skyline doubleheader hosting Old Westbury at the SJC Outdoor Field Complex in Patchogue on Tuesday (Apr. 24) at 3:30 p.m. Live stats and video at SJCBears.com.