Baseball Earns Comeback Win to Split Twin-Bill at Centenary (N.J.)

FLEMINGTON, N.J. — A three-run sixth inning led to a 3-2 victory for the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team (9-3-1) in the second half of a Friday afternoon doubleheader at Centenary University (N.J.). The Cyclones (4-9) took the first contest 9-6 after five runs in the third, but Dominick Caputo (Mount Sinai, N.Y./Mount Sinai) drove in two runs for the Bears in their game two triumph.

How It Happened (Game One): Centenary 9, St. Joseph's 6
SJC Starters: Schwartz (SS), Zinser (CF), Palermo (3B), Reyes (LF), DeLuca (1B), Lombardi (DH), Caputo (C), McLaughlin (2B), Langan (RF); Bunnicelli (P)

Senior leadoff hitter Adam Schwartz (Staten Island, N.Y./Susan E. Wagner) opened the game with a walk and, after a throwing error on the next play, scored for the first run of the day. A hit batter was then followed by back-to-back home runs from William DeLuca (Valley Stream, N.Y./Valley Stream Central) and Louis Lombardi (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) leading to a 4-0 SJC advantage after one.

An RBI triple from Paul Links highlighted a two-run second for the Cyclones cutting their deficit in half. DeLuca doubled in the top of the third but SJC was held scoreless and Centenary continued their scoring with five tallies in the bottom to take the lead after five hits, featuring another run-scoring triple, and an error.

Anthony Palermo (Patchogue, N.Y./Sachem North) clocked a one-out triple in the Bears' half of the fifth and scored on a wild pitch to bring St. Joseph's back within two (7-5) entering the sixth.

The hosts added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth as Links stayed hot with an RBI double and the Bears walked in a run. Kevin Reyes (Bronx, N.Y./AECI) doubled home Palermo in the seventh but the comeback bid fell short in St. Joseph's third loss of the season.

How It Happened (Game Two): St. Joseph's 3, Centenary 2
SJC Starters: Schwartz (SS), Palermo (3B), DeLuca (DH), Reyes (LF), Lombardi (1B), Zinser (CF), Langan (RF), McLaughlin (2B), Caputo (C); Egan (P)

Cole Fratesi doubled and later scored on a wild pitch for the game's first run in the second after the Bears left the bases loaded in the top of the inning. A triple from Ryan Jasiecki plated Jon Fleck as Centenary doubled their edge (2-0) in the third.

Neither side mustered much offense in the fourth and both sides stranded runners in scoring position in the fifth as the Cyclones maintained a slim advantage late in the game.

Reyes singled, Lombardi doubled, and rookie Chris Zinser (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) drove an RBI base hit to center to open the sixth and get the Bears on the board. Caputo went on to drive Lombardi and Zinser in for the go-ahead RBIs securing St. Joseph's eighth win in their last 10 games.

For the Bears

• Palermo put up three runs, two triples, and a double on the day while Lombardi was 3-for-5 with two runs, a home run, a double, and an RBI.
• DeLuca earned the pitching win in game two going four innings with two strikeouts allowing just four hits, two runs, and a walk.
• Andrew Watters (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) picked up his second save of the season tossing two scoreless innings (one H, one BB, one K) to close out game two.

Next Up for the Bears
Their second Skyline date of the season hosting Mount Saint Mary College at Calvert Vaux Park on Sunday (Mar. 24) at noon with live stats and video streaming on SJCBears.com.