Palermo Powers Baseball to High-Scoring Win Over Staten Island

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Senior third baseman Anthony Palermo (Patchogue, N.Y./Sachem North) drove in six RBI lifting the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team (2-1-1) to a 10-9 triumph over the College of Staten Island (3-3) on the road on Sunday. The Bears withstood five opponent runs in the final three innings to hold on to the victory as three players recorded at least two hits.

How It Happened
Palermo recorded his first RBI of the game in the top of the first hitting home Adam Schwartz (Staten Island, N.Y./Susan E. Wagner) on a single to left, but a Dolphin solo shot in the bottom half had the score tied at one after one.

SJC got the scoring going again in the third unloading for four runs, three of which came on a center field home-run from Palermo scoring Schwartz and rookie Chris Zinser (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) to go ahead by three. Junior outfielder Kevin Reyes followed with an RBI single stretching the leading even further (5-1) after three innings.

Palermo drove in two more with two outs in the fourth as the visitors held a commanding 6-1 advantage entering inning five. CSI walked in a run in the fifth but answered with three tallies in the bottom half on an infield single and Bear error that gave them three runs in the frame and brought them back within striking distance (8-4).

A Staten Island wild pitch followed by a groundout RBI for the Bears led to SJC's 10th run in the top of the sixth and they held the hosts scoreless in the bottom. With St. Joseph's leading 10-4 after six, the Dolphins scored three runs in the seventh and two in the eighth, but senior J.J. McLaughlin (Elmont, N.Y./Sewanhaka) retired them one-two-three in the bottom of the ninth to close out a hard-fought, 10-9 win.

For the Bears

• Palermo went 3-for-5 with six RBI, two runs, a home-run, and a steal, while Reyes (2-for-4) drove in a run and drew a walk.
• Junior Andrew Watters (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) earned the win on the mound going five innings giving up five hits and two earned runs with four strikeouts.
• Matthew Trudden (Broad Channel, N.Y./Christ the King) rounded out the Bears with multiple hits (2-for-5, R) and Schwartz scored twice, had an RBI, and stole a base.
• McLaughlin recorded his second save of the season in the Bears' second win (two IP, two R, one BB, one K).

Next Up for the Bears
The 2019 home opener at Calvert Vaux Park this Saturday (Mar. 16) against Pine Manor for a doubleheader beginning at noon with live stats streaming at SJCBears.com.