Bears Sweep Yeshiva at MCU

BROOKLYN, NY – Kevin Diaz (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) belted five hits, including a grand slam, and drove in nine runs leading the St. Joseph's College baseball team to a sweep of a non-conference doubleheader against Yeshiva University, 9-3 & 15-2, on Sunday afternoon at MCU Park.

Diaz hit for the cycle over the twinbill, finishing 5-for-7, scoring four runs and four of his hits going for extra bases.  His grand slam in the nightcap was his team-leading seventh homer of the season and the first by a Bear at MCU Park.

Joseph Boccia (Westwood, NJ/Westwood) had four hits and scored six times while stealing four bases.  John Porcelli (Brooklyn, NY/Xaverian) knocked three hits, including a double, driving in three runs.  Keith Juricich (San Mateo, CA/Serra) drove in three and scored three times.  Alvaro Quinones (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Loughlin), Kevin Hernandez and Danny Zaretsky (Brooklyn, NY/Lincoln) scored a trio of runs each.

Juricich and Chris Davidson (San Carlos, CA/Carlmont) earned the wins on the mound each picking up their third wins of the season.  Juricich went the distance in the opener allowing seven hits and three runs (one earned) while striking out six and walking none.  Davidson tossed 6 1/3 surrendering two runs (both unearned) on five hits while striking out five and walking one.

Yeshiva University (0-26) was led by Zachary Weiner who collected four hits with a double and Seth Fein who had three hits.

In the opener, Yeshiva jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opening frame benefitting from three St. Joe's defensive miscues.  But that would be the only offense for the Maccabees for the remainder of the contest as Juricich allowed only four more hits.

St. Joseph's took a run back in the bottom of the first on a Davidson sacrifice fly that scored Boccia who lead off the inning with a single.  The Bears took the lead in the bottom of the third inning with a three-run frame.  Diaz started the scoring with an RBI triple followed by a Juricich single that tied the game at 3-3.  A Porcelli sacrifice fly later in the inning scored Juricich for the eventual game winner.

St. Joseph's added three more runs in the fourth and single tallies in the fifth and sixth innings to pull away from Yeshiva.

In the nightcap, Yeshiva scored a pair of runs in their lead at-bat, both coming unearned as a result of a Bears miscue.  The Maccabees bats went silent again for the remainder of the game, scattering five hits, but unable to produce any more runs.

St. Joseph's equalized the game in the bottom of the first on a bases loaded walk, the third straight walk issued by starter Adam Volk and another sacrifice fly by Porcelli.  Kevin Diaz broke the game open in the second with a grand slam, his first of the season, and the Bears remained in firm control of the game tacking on three runs in the third, five in the fifth and a single tally in the sixth.  Diaz accounted for three more runs, knocking doubles in the third and fifth frames, finishing the nightcap with a 3-for-4 performance, seven RBI and three runs scored.

The Bears conclude their 2010 campaign with a non-conference matchup against John Jay on Wednesday, May 5th at MCU Park starting at 3:30 pm.  The Bears defeated John Jay 14-13 earlier in the season on a walk-off home run by Joe Harten to earn their first win of the season.